His contributions to understanding psychedelic drugs and their effects have left a lasting impact on the field he helped bring into modernity. As a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, for over 50 years, Roland dedicated his career to studying the behavioral and subjective effects of drugs. Over the last 16 years, Dr. Griffiths and his team have published over 144 peer-reviewed articles about psychedelics in respected scientific journals. This research has led to a widespread reconsideration of the potential of psychedelics in the fields of science and medicine and inspired a new generation of researchers to follow in his footsteps.

Born in 1946 in Glen Cove, New York, Roland received his undergraduate degree from Occidental College in California in 1968 and earned his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Griffiths joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins that same year.

Roland mentored more than 60 postdoctoral research fellows and offered his insights to institutions like the National Institutes of Health. His involvement with the World Health Organization’s Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence showcased the recognition he garnered.

Roland had a long-standing and well-deserved reputation as a rigorous pharmacologist and data-driven scientist in both preclinical and clinical research. He brought this rigor to his later focus on psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, which opened new avenues of understanding and paved the way for more researchers to gain traction in this work. His research explored the impact of these compounds on human consciousness in long-term meditators and religious leaders. Utilizing brain imaging techniques like fMRI and PET scans, he sought to uncover the functional connections behind these effects. His therapeutic studies aimed to treat psychological distress in cancer patients, substance use disorders, and depression.