Roland R. Griffiths: Renowned American professor and psychopharmacologist dies at 77

American psychopharmacologist Roland Redmond Griffiths lived from July 19, 1946, to October 16, 2023. He held the positions of head of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and professor of neuroscience, psychiatry, and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Griffiths joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins University after earning his degree. Griffiths published ground-breaking research in 1994 that showed how caffeine is addictive and causes withdrawal symptoms. In 1999, Griffiths started looking into psychedelic substances.

According to The New York Times, his 2006 paper “Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance” “caused a media ruckus” for its documentation of the “revelatory and spiritually meaningful” experiences of individuals who were given psilocybin mushrooms.

Roland R. Griffiths: Renowned American professor and psychopharmacologist dies at 77

Psychedelic and mood-altering drug researcher Roland Griffiths passed away on Monday, October 16, at the age of 77. His work helped usher in a new era of psychedelic research and inspired Johns Hopkins to establish the country’s first psychedelic research center.

Griffiths’ work sparked a great deal of philanthropic and scientific interest, and as a result, the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research was established in 2019 with a $17 million gift with Griffiths serving as its initial director. In November 2021, he received a colon cancer diagnosis.