Matthew W. Johnson
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His behavioral economics research has applied delay discounting and demand analyses to addiction. Highly cited early contributions include validation of human delay discounting methods and approaches for evaluating discounting data. His research has indicated that delay discounting is a fundamental process underlying addiction, and that delay discounting of condom use is a critical variable influencing sexual HIV risk. Dr. Johnson has also conducted human studies determining the acute effects of numerous drugs: cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, caffeine, GHB, alcohol, triazolam, ramelteon, psilocybin, dextromethorphan, and salvinorin A. Recent research has shown that administration of drugs associated with sexual risk behavior (e.g., cocaine, alcohol) increases discounting of sexual outcomes and sexual risk. He has conducted extensive research on psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs regarding their acute and long-term behavioral effects and therapeutic potential, including in addictions treatment and in the treatment of cancer-related depression and anxiety. Dr. Johnson has published ~80 manuscripts and chapters. He has been awarded ~8 million dollars as PI from NIH. Dr. Johnson received the 2011 Young Psychopharmacologist Award from the Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse Division of the American Psychological Association, the 2014 Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award, and Fellow status within the American Psychological Association for “evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology.” Dr. Johnson has been interviewed about the behavioral effects of drugs by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Show, NPR’s Morning Edition, NPR’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, the Globe and Mail, the Daily Mail, USA Today, CBS News, the Baltimore Sun, the Atlantic, the Washingtonian, Scientific American, and Nature.