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EDUCATION
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY                                      

Doctor of Medicine [2014 – 2018]

Hobart College, Geneva, NY                                                             

Bachelor of Arts, in Biology [2010 – 2014]

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Psychiatrist at the Couples and Family Counseling & Wellness Center [9/2025-Current]

Murrells Inlet, SC (Virtual/Remote)

  • Treating all ages with medication, genetic testing, integrative modalities, and lifestyle modifications.

  • Working alongside four therapists who specialize in ERP, EMDR, CBT, and addiction psychotherapy.

Medical AI Expert Consultant [8/2025-Current] 

Myrtle Beach, SC (Remote)

      • Improved AI models and synthesized complex data for project Prometheus and two work trials.

Primary Psychiatric Investigator [1/2025-9/2025]

Myrtle Beach, SC (Remote)

  • Coauthored a scoping review of creatine and the MTHFR C677T gene with Tim Lacy M.D.

  • Lead a systematic review & meta-analysis on omega-3 fatty acids ADHD with Ramesh Krishnaraj M.D.

  • Completed a narrative review of low dose naltrexone for chronic pain with Gregory Hobelmann M.D.

Independent Telemedicine Psychiatric Provider [7/2022-1/2025]

Sumter, South Carolina; Myrtle Beach, SC (Remote)

  • Delivered psychiatric care to rural South Carolina patients, managing mental illness via telehealth.

  • Developed evidence-based treatment plans with medications and psychotherapy referrals.

Staff Psychiatrist the Columbia Regional Care Center [2/2024-5/2024]

Columbia, South Carolina

  • Provided forensic psychiatric care, stabilizing complex cases for legal proceedings.

  • Managed high-acuity patients with psychotropic medications as a multidisciplinary leader over four case managers, a psychologist, a nurse practitioner, and a pharmacist.

Independent Psychiatric Clinic [7/2021 – 2/2024]

Sumter, South Carolina (commuting to my office at 6650 Rivers Ave, Ste 100 in North Charleston)

  • Treated a variety of psychotic, mood, and substance use disorders with brief psychotherapy, medication management plans, and referrals. 

Marek Health Telemedicine Physician [12/2022 – 10/2023]

Sumter, South Carolina (Remote)

  • Provided proactive telehealth care for chronic conditions like dyslipidemia, hypogonadism, and hypertension with a focus on treatment adherence and lifestyle change via collaboration and education.

Psychiatry Resident [7/2018 – 5/2021]

Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia

  • Provided psychiatric care across multiple facilities, inpatient, outpatient, and consultative services.  

  • Diagnosed, monitored, and managed patients with medications and treatment plans.

  • Mentored 1st and 2nd year residents and medical students with clinical skills, exams, and research.

LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS

- Permanent MD License #87780 (Unrestricted since 2022), South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners.

- DEA Registration #FC2526703; CDS Registration #2087780.  

- Active member of: American Psychiatric Association (APA) and American Medical Association (AMA).  

- Continually updated my CAQH profile while earning CME credits over time.

- Completed Buprenorphine prescriber and lifestyle psychiatry training courses through the APA (2025).  

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Independent Research [5/2021 – 9/2025]

Myrtle Beach, SC

  • Assisted an internist on a case report about art therapy in a patient with OCD.

  • helped Dr. Brian Johnson edit his book about addiction, and accumulated articles for the three papers I submitted (mentioned earlier).

Psychiatry Resident Research [7/2018 – 5/2021]

Augusta University, Augusta, GA

  • 2021: Poster accepted to the 28th International Conference on Clinical Nutrition (“Omega-3 Fatty Acids for ADHD: Reviewing the Mechanisms, Safety, and Efficacy of an Adjuvant”).

  • 2021: Three posters accepted to the 31st European Congress on Psychiatrists.

  • 2021: Three posters accepted to the 33rd International Conference on Mental Health and Behavior.

  • 2019: Poster accepted the 36th International Conference on Psychiatry (“Progressive Psychosis in a Non-Surgically Managed Case of Mesial Temporal Sclerosis”).

  • 2018: Second place in the GPPA Skobba poster presentation (“Safe Administration of ECT in a Suicidal Patient with a Space-Occupying Astrocytoma”).

Student Research [2009 – 2018]

SUNY Upstate Medical University

  • Orthopedics: IRB-approved retrospective cohort study on enchondromas and chondrosarcomas was presented at Orthopedic Research Day and Student Research Day in 2017 under Timothy Damron, M.D.

  • Family Medicine: Assisted integrative cancer clinic research with Kaushal Nanavati, M.D.

  • Neurology: Research assistant to Dragos Mihaila, MD, a clinical associate professor at the VA.

  • Urology: Conducted urology research at the VA under Mahmoud Cheha, M.D. 

  • Clinical Toxicology Institute: Authored an article on the role of N-acetylcysteine in psychiatric disorders including OCD and addiction for Dr. Jeanna Marraffa, PharmD.

Hobart College: Developed curcumin analogues targeting breast cancer

Dover High School: Boehringer-Ingelheim Internship in Ridgefield, CT at age 17 for drug discovery.

HONORS

Medical College of Georgia (Augusta University)

2021: Scored the highest of all psychiatry residents on the PRITE exam as a PGY-2

2018: Second place in the GPPA Skobba poster presentation (“Safe Administration of ECT in a Suicidal Patient with a Space-Occupying Astrocytoma”).

SUNY Upstate Medical University

2017: Given the Bruce Dearing Award for the poem "Staying Alive", appearing in The Healing Muse and added to the bioethics curriculum. 

Hobart College

2014: Awarded the MLK Graduate School Scholarship, studying African American work.

2012 & 2016: Gallon Donor Pin from the Red Cross received twice.

Dover High School 

2010: Awarded the Elizabeth Blackwell Scholarship with acceptance into SUNY Upstate at age 17 and a full scholarship to Hobart College. Two were chosen from 700 applicants.

2010: Valedictorian of Dover HS. Speech was quoted in the Poughkeepsie Journal. 

2010: Gold Presidential Award for Community Service (400 or more hours in one year).

LEADERSHIP, VOLUNTEER SERVICE, & EXTRACURRICULARS

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina          

  • National Service Honor Recipient (Bronze Level) in 2025 for community service

  • Community Kitchen [2024-2025]: 150+ hours feeding the homeless community weekly since 10/2024.

  • Chapin Epps YMCA [2024-2025]: Volunteered 30+ hours with the Boys and Girls Club.

  • NAMI [2024]: Fundraised for a mental health walk.

Medical College of Georgia

  • Red Cross [2014-2021]: Gave 23 blood donations.

SUNY Upstate Medical University

  • Upstate Christian Medical Fellowship [2017]: Eucharistic minister and volunteer with hospital pastors for cancer and burn patients. 

  • Tour Guide [2016].

  • The Healing Muse [2016]: Contributor of paintings and poems to the yearly publication from SUNY Upstate’s Center for Bioethics and Humanities. 

  • Anatomical Gift Program Memorial [2015]: Created a large mosaic with other medical students along with poetry to honor families of anatomical donors.

  • SUNY Upstate Art Club [2015]: President who arranged monthly galleries in the library.

  • SUNY Upstate Writing Club [2014]: Secretary

Published Poet and Author of Three Anthologies on Amazon

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Knights of Columbus: 2023-Present, AMA: 2014-Present, American Psychiatric Association: 2014-Present, Latino Medical Student Association: 2014-2018, & CSTEP: 2014-2018                  

            

PUBLICATIONS

  • Pending: Omega-3 Fatty Acids for ADHD: A Narrative Review on Candidate Populations, Low-Dose Naltrexone for Nociplastic Pain: A Narrative Review, & Creatine as a Methylation Modulator in MTHFR Gene Mutations: A Scoping Review

  • Youssef, N. A., Casola, B., Rosenquist, P. B., McCall, W. V., & Spearman, V. (2021). Safe administration of ECT in a suicidal patient with a space-occupying astrocytoma. The Journal of ECT, 37(3), 207–208.

  • Casola, Benjamin. (2021). Eight Poems. Capital Psychiatry: The E-Magazine of the Washington Psychiatric Society. 2(2), 44-45. 

  • Casola, Benjamin. (2018). Antipsychotic Patient, Antisocial Personality Disorder. Chaleur Magazine. (8) 52-54 

  • Casola, Benjamin. (2018). OCD. Neilen, Deirdre (Eds.), The Healing Muse (Vol 18: pp 68). Upstate Medical University.

  • Casola, Benjamin. (2017). Staying Alive. Neilen, Deirdre (Eds.), The Healing Muse (Vol 17: pp 57). Upstate Medical University. 

  • Casola, B. (2017, October 4). NAC: Is research emerging for a role as an adjunct in psychiatric conditions? Upstate New York Poison Center. 

  • Casola, Benjamin. (2016). Roads. Neilen, Deirdre (Eds.), The Healing Muse (Vol 16: pp 48). Upstate Medical University.

Psychology Today Profile: Dr. Benjamin Andrew Casola, Psychiatrist, Murrells Inlet, SC, 29576 | Psychology Today