For the last twenty-five years, Dennis McKenna has pursued the interdisciplinary study of ethnopharmacology and plant hallucinogens. He is co-author, with his brother Terence, of The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching (Seabury Press, 1975; Citadel Press, 1991), a philosophical and metaphysical exploration of the ontological implications of psychedelic drugs which resulted from the two brothers' early investigations of Amazonian hallucinogens in 1971. He received his doctorate in 1984 from the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research focused on ethnopharmacological investigations of the botany, chemistry, and pharmacology of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he, two orally-active tryptamine-based hallucinogens used by indigenous peoples in the Northwest Amazon. Following the completion of his doctorate, Dr. McKenna received post-doctoral research fellowships in the Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health, and in the Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine. In 1990, he joined Shaman Pharmaceuticals as Director of Ethnopharmacology. He relocated to Minnesota in 1993 to join the Aveda Corporation, a manufacturer of natural cosmetic products, as Senior Research Pharmacognosist. He currently works as a scientific consultant to clients in the herbal, nutritional, and pharmaceutical industries. Together with two colleagues in the natural products industry, he incorporated the non-profit Institute for Natural Products Research (INPR) in October 1998 to promote research and scientific education with respect to botanical medicines and other natural medicines. Dr. Mckenna serves on the Advisory Board of the American Botanical Council, and on the Editorial Board of Phytomedicine, International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology. He is a founding board member and Vice-President of the Heffter Research Institute, a non-profit scientific organization dedicated to the investigation of therapeutic applications for psychedelic plants and compounds. He has also served as board member and Research Advisor to Botanical Dimensions, a non-profit organization dedicated to the investigation of ethnomedically significant plants. He was a primary organizer and key scientific collaborator for the Hoasca Project, an international biomedical study of Hoasca, a psychoactive drink used in ritual contexts by indigenous peoples and syncretic religious groups in Brasil. He has conducted extensive ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian, and Brasilian Amazon. He has served as invited speaker at numerous scientific congresses, seminars, and symposia. Dr. McKenna is author or co-author of over 35 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, European Journal of Pharmacology, Brain Research, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neurochemistry, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Economic Botany, and elsewhere.
Publications
Lebot, Vincent, Ed Johnston, Qun Yi Zheng, Doug McKern, and Dennis J. McKenna (1999) Morphological, Phytochemical, and Genetic Variation in Hawaiian Cultivars of ‘Awa (Kava, Piper methysticum Forster F., Piperaceae). Economic Botany 53:407-418.
Callaway, J. C., D. J. McKenna, C. S. Grob, G. S. Brito, L. P. Raymon, R.E. Poland, E. N. Andrade, E. O. Andrade, D. C. Mash (1999) Pharmacokinetics of Hoasca alkaloids in Healthy Humans. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 65:243-256.
Callaway, J. C, D. J. McKenna (1998) Neurochemistry of psychedelic drugs. In Koch, S. (ed.) Handbook of Drug Abuse, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Callaway, J. C., L. P. Raymon, W. L. Hearn, D. J. McKenna, C. S. Grob, G. S. Brito, D. C. Mash (1996) Quantitation of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids in human plasma after oral dosing with Ayahuasca. Journal of Analytical Toxicology 20: 492-497
Dennis J. McKenna (1996) Plant hallucinogens: Springboards for psychotherapeutic drug discovery. Behavioural Brain Research 73:109-116
C. S. Grob, D. J. McKenna, J. C. Callaway, G. S. Brito, E. S. Neves, G. Oberlender, O. L. Saide, E. Labigalini, C. Tacla, C. T. Miranda, R. J. Strassman, K. B. Boone (1996) Human pharmacology of hoasca, a plant hallucinogen used in ritual context in Brasil: Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease. 184:86-94.
James C. Callaway, M. M. Airaksinen, Dennis J. McKenna, Glacus S. Brito, & charles S. Grob (1994) Platelet serotonin uptake sites increased in drinkers of ayahuasca. Psychopharmacology 116: 385-387
Dennis J. McKenna, L. E. Luna, & G. H. N. Towers, (1995) Biodynamic constituents in Ayahuasca admixture plants: an uninvestigated folk pharmacopoeia. In: von Reis, S., and R. E. Schultes (eds). Ethnobotany: Evolution of a Discipline. Dioscorides Press, Portland
Constantino M. Torres, David B. Repke, Kelvin Chan, Dennis McKenna, Augustin Llagostera, and Richard E. Schultes (1992) Botanical, chemical, and contextual analysis of archaeological snuff powders from San Pedro de Atacama, Northern Chile. Current Anthropology. 32:640-649.
Chester A. Mathis, John M. Gerdes, Joel D. Enas, John M. Whitney, Scott E. Taylor, Yi Zhang, Dennis J. McKenna, Sona Havlik, and Stephen J. Peroutka (1992) Binding potency of paroxetine analogues for the serotonin uptake complex. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 44:801-805.
Dennis J. McKenna, X.-M. Guan, and A. T. Shulgin (1991) 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) analogues exhibit differential effects on synaptosomal release of 3H-dopamine and 3H-5-hydroxytryptamine. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 38:505-512.
Constantino M. Torres, David B. Repke, Kelvin Chan, Dennis McKenna, Augustin Llagostera, and Richard E. Schultes (1992) Botanical, chemical, and contextual analysis of archaeological snuff powders from San Pedro de Atacama, Northern Chile. Current Anthropology. 32:640-649.
Chester A. Mathis, John M. Gerdes, Joel D. Enas, John M. Whitney, Scott E. Taylor, Yi Zhang, Dennis J. McKenna, Sona Havlik, and Stephen J. Peroutka (1992) Binding potency of paroxetine analogues for the serotonin uptake complex. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 44:801-805.
David E. Nichols, Robert Oberlender, and Dennis J. McKenna (1991) Stereochemical Aspects of Hallucinogenesis. Chapter 1, pp. 1-39 in R. R. Watson (ed.) Biochemistry and Physiology of Substance Abuse, Vol. III. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Dennis J. McKenna and Stephen J. Peroutka (1990) Serotonin neurotoxins: Focus on MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, "Ecstasy") In S. J. Peroutka, (ed.) Serotonin Receptor Subtypes: Basic and Clinical Aspects, Alan R. Liss Publishers, New York. pp. 127-148.
Dennis J. McKenna, David B. Repke, Leland Lo, and Stephen J. Peroutka (1990) Differential interactions of indolealkylamines with 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor subtypes. Neuropharmacology. 29:193-198.
Dennis J. McKenna and Stephen J. Peroutka (1990) The neurochemistry and neurotoxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy"). J. Neurochemistry. 54:14-22.
Cameron R. Hekmatpanah, Dennis J. McKenna, and Stephen J. Peroutka (1989) Reserpine does not prevent 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. Neuroscience Letters. 104:178-182.
Dennis J. McKenna, David B. Repke, and Stephen J. Peroutka (1989) Hallucinogenic indolealkylamines are selective for 5HT2A binding sites. Neuroscience Abstracts. 15:485.
Dennis J. McKenna & Stephen J. Peroutka (1989) Differentiation of 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptor subtypes using 125I-R-(-)?2,5,-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine (125I-R(?)DOI) and 3H-ketanserin. J. of Neuroscience. 9:3482-3490.
Dennis J. McKenna, Adil J. Nazarali, Andrew J. Hoffman, David E. Nichols, C. A. Mathis, & Juan M. Saavedra (1989) Common receptors for hallucinogens in rat brain: a comparative autoradiographic study using [125I]LSD and [125I]-DOI, a new psychotomimetic radioligand. Brain Res. 476:45-56.
Dennis J. McKenna, Adil J. Nazarali, Akihiko Himeno, & Juan M. Saavedra (1989) Chronic treatment with (±)DOI, a psychotomimetic 5HT2 agonist, downregulates 5HT2 receptors in rat brain. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2:81-87.
Adil J. Nazarali, Dennis J. McKenna, & Juan M. Saavedra (1989) Autoradiographic localization of 5HT2 receptors in rat brain using [125I]-DOI, a selective psychotomimetic radioligand. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. and Biol. Psychiatry, 13:573-581
Dennis J. McKenna, C. A. Mathis, & Stephen J. Peroutka (1988) Characterization of 125I-DOI binding sites in rat brain. Neuroscience Abstracts 14:No. 247.12 Akihiko Himeno, Dennis J. McKenna, Adil J. Nazarali, & Juan M. Saavedra (1988) (±)DOI, a hallucinogenic phenylalkylamine, downregulates 5HT2 receptors in rat brain. Neuroscience Abstracts 14:No. 229.2
Dennis J. McKenna & J. M. Saavedra (1987) Autoradiography of LSD and 2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine psychotomimetics demonstrates regional, specific cross-displacement in the rat brain. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 142:313-315.
Dennis J. McKenna, C. A. Mathis, A. T. Shulgin, & J. M. Saavedra (1987) Hallucinogens bind to common receptors in the rat forebrain: a comparative study using 125I-LSD and 125I-DOI, a new psychotomimetic radioligand. Neuroscience Abstracts, 13:No. 311.14
Dennis J. McKenna, C. A. Mathis, A. T. Shulgin, Thornton Sargent III, & J. M. Saavedra (1987) Autoradiographic localization of binding sites for 125I-(?)DOI, a new psychotomimetic radioligand, in the rat brain. Eur J. Pharmacol., 137:289-290.
Dennis J. McKenna, L. E. Luna, & G. H. N. Towers, (1986) Biodynamic constituents in Ayahuasca admixture plants: an uninvestigated folk pharmacopoeia. America Indigena, 46:73-101. (Spanish with English abstract)
Dennis J. McKenna, & G. H. N. Towers, (1985) On the comparative ethnopharmacology of the Malpighiaceous and Myristicaceous hallucinogens. J. Psychoactive Drugs, 17:35-39.
Dennis J. McKenna, & G. H. N. Towers, (1984), Biochemistry and pharmacology of tryptamine and ß-carboline derivatives: A minireview. J. Psychoactive Drugs, 16:347-358.
Dennis J. McKenna, G. H. N. Towers, & F. S. Abbott (1984) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamine and ß-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca. J. of Ethnopharmacology 10:195-223.
Dennis J. McKenna, G. H. N. Towers, & F. S. Abbott (1984) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants Pt. II: Constituents of orally active Myristicaceous hallucinogens. J. of Ethnopharmacology 12:179-211.
Dennis J. McKenna & G. H. N. Towers (1981) Ultra-violet mediated cytotoxic activity of ß-carboline alkaloids. Phytochemistry 20:1001-1004
Dennis J. McKenna & T. K. McKenna (1975) The Invisible Landscape. Seabury Press, New York.
Book Reviews & Popular Articles
Dennis J. McKenna (1989) Its a Jungle Out There: Biochemical Conflict and Co-operation in the Ecosphere. Whole Earth Review, 64:40-47. (popular article on chemical ecology)
Dennis J. McKenna (1989) Plant Wisdom Resources. Whole Earth Review, 64:48-49.
Dennis J. McKenna (1992) DMT: Nature's Ubiquitous Hallucinogen. Interdependances, in press.
Dennis J. McKenna (1992) Tryptamine Hallucinogens of the New World: An Ethnopharmacological Survey. Interdependances, in press.
Review: The Healing Forest: Medicinal & Toxic Plants of the Northwest Amazonia by R. E. Schultes & R.F. Raffauf. Reviewed in Shaman's Drum, Spring, 1991 and Whole Earth Review, Spring, 1991
Review: The Sacred Mushroom Seeker: Essays for R. Gordon Wasson Thomas J. Reidlinger, Editor. Reviewed in Shaman's Drum, Winter 1990-91 and Whole Earth Review, Spring, 1991
Review: Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian Shaman, by Luis Eduardo Luna & Pablo Amaringo. Reviewed in Shaman's Drum, Spring, 1992
Review: PIHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, by Alexander T. Shulgin & Ann Shulgin. Reviewed in Gnosis, Spring, 1992
