Roland Griffiths
portrait photo of Roland Griffiths wearing a light blue shirt, dark blazer, and patterned tie, smiling directly at camera
Griffiths in 2019
Born
Roland Redmond Griffiths

(1946-07-19)July 19, 1946
Glen Cove, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 2023(2023-10-16) (aged 77)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Education
Known for
Scientific career
FieldsPsychopharmacology
InstitutionsJohns Hopkins
ThesisThe effects of pentobarbital on extinction responding in rats (1972)
Doctoral advisorTravis Irving Thompson

Roland Redmond Griffiths (July 19, 1946 – October 16, 2023) was an American psychopharmacologist.[1] At Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he was professor of neuroscience, psychiatry, and behavioral science, and he was the director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.[2]

Life and career

Griffiths was born in Glen Cove, New York, on July 19, 1946.[3] His mother was a homemaker, and his father, a psychologist, became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Griffiths grew up in El Cerrito, California.[4] He earned his undergraduate degree from Occidental College and his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Minnesota in psychopharmacology, in 1972.[4]

After completing his doctorate, Griffiths joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins University.[4] In 1994, he published research demonstrating the addictive nature of caffeine as well as its withdrawal syndrome.[5] Griffiths began studying psychedelic drugs in 1999.[4] His 2006 paper "Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance",[6] "caused a media ruckus", according to The New York Times, for its documentation of the "revelatory and spiritually meaningful" experiences of individuals who were given psilocybin mushrooms.[4] His work in the field is credited with helping revive interest in clinical research into psychedelic drugs as a potential treatment for addiction, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders.[1][7]

Personal life

Griffiths' 1973 marriage to Kristin Ann Johnson, and later to Diana Hansen, both ended in divorce.[4][8] At the time of his death, he was married to Marla Weiner. He had three children.[4]

In 2021, Griffiths was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer.[4] He died at his home in Baltimore on October 16, 2023, at the age of 77.[4][9]

References

  1. 1 2 Wong, Sam (2017). "Reopen your mind". New Scientist. 236 (3153): 28–31. Bibcode:2017NewSc.236...28W. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(17)32308-4. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  2. ↑ Carey, Benedict (September 4, 2019). "Johns Hopkins Opens New Center for Psychedelic Research". The New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  3. ↑ Davis, Howland; Kelly, Arthur CM (1995). A Livingston Genealogical Register. Kinship. ISBN 9781560121367. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Green, Penelope (October 17, 2023). "Roland Griffiths, Who Led a Renaissance in Psychedelics, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  5. ↑ Blakeslee, Sandra (October 5, 1994). "Yes People Are Right. Caffeine Is Addictive". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ Griffiths, RR; Richards, WA; McCann, U; Jesse, R (August 2006). "Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance". Psychopharmacology. 187 (3): 268–83, discussion 284–92. doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5. PMID 16826400. S2CID 218464574.
  7. ↑ Slater, Lauren (April 9, 2018). "Psilocybin Could Help Terminal Patients Face Their Fear of Death". Discover. Archived by the Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2023. In 2006, he published his landmark study, straightforwardly titled 'Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance.'
  8. ↑ Hughes, Julie Scharper,Michael (October 18, 2023). "Roland Griffiths, pioneering Johns Hopkins psychedelics researcher, dies". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved October 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Smith, Benjamin A. (October 17, 2023). "Psychedelic Research Pioneer Roland Griffiths Passes at Age 77". thedalesreport.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.

Further reading

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