Roland R. Griffiths, psychopharmacology pioneer: Abuse liability, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, benzodiazepines, and psychedelics.

Roland R. Griffiths was a highly influential scientist in behavioral and neuropsychopharmacology, known for his rigorous research on abuse liability of substances including alcohol, benzodiazepines, caffeine, tobacco, and psychedelics. This review, authored by his former mentees and collaborators, describes his methodical approach to research, his inclusive and collegial mentoring style, and his role in advancing scientific methods for abuse liability assessment, policy, and regulation. His work culminated in the establishment of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, reflecting his curiosity-driven, humanity-serving science that continues to inspire innovation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This review provides an overview of Roland R. Griffiths' history of research, and his mentoring and collaborating approach to science that contributed to his impact in behavioral and neuropsychopharmacology and psychedelic medicines development. The approach was to summarize studies in his major domains of research, including preclinical and clinical abuse liability assessment science, alcohol, benzodiazepines, caffeine, tobacco, and psychedelics. All the authors of this review were mentored by and collaborated with Griffiths-some over several decades-and were able to provide personal perspectives and insights into Griffiths' approach to science and scientific collaborations, including insights into how major research initiatives were conceived and evolved with personal anecdotes and quotes. Roland Griffiths is widely described as a "scientist's scientist," driven by his powerful curiosity to explore new frontiers in behavioral biology and neuropharmacology, with a passion to pursue humanity-serving science. His methodical approach to research development and then systematic extension and assessment of the generalizability of findings contributed to the evolution of thinking and scientific methods for abuse liability assessment, policy, and regulation of alcohol and other sedatives, tobacco and nicotine, caffeinated products and other stimulants, and in his last 2 decades, psychedelics. His inclusive and collegial approach to science, mentoring, and collaborating fueled his creativity and productivity and a fountain of innovation and research that will go on in perpetuity. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research established in the last few years of his life, in part because of his remarkable scientific life.