“This professorship will advance the scientific understanding of the relationships between the uses of psychedelic substances, the possible resulting influences on spirituality and worldview, and the subsequent effects on psychological well-being, prosocial behavior, and health.”
— Roland R. Griffiths, PhD
David B. Yaden, PhD
Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine working in The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for PRactical ethics at the University of oxford
The Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees has officially approved David B. Yaden, Ph.D as the inaugural recipient.
David completed his Doctoral training in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania where he conducted research on brief, intense inner experiences often referred to as altered states of consciousness. His scientific research focus is on the psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and psychopharmacology of such states. Specifically, he is interested in characterizing, quantifying, and communicating their risks and benefits, as well as how they can temporarily alter fundamental faculties of consciousness, such as the senses of time, space, and self. He is interested in the risks, adverse events, and relevant bioethical considerations involved in psychedelic and psychedelic-like experiences. To this end, he is the co-founder of the Hub at Oxford for Psychedelic Ethics (HOPE). He is the author of over 80 academic articles, and the author of The Varieties of Spiritual Experiences: Twenty-First Century Research and Perspectives a book with Oxford University Press. His scientific and scholarly work has been covered by mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, BBC, and NPR.
A video of the the entire event can be accessed here.
This Professorship is intended to exist in perpetuity, so check back every decade or so to see new recipients listed here.