American psychopharmacologist (1946–2023)
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]
