Benson Ku

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor

benson.steven.ku@emory.edu

Overview

Benson Ku is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. He serves as an attending psychiatrist in the Achieving Recovery through Resilience, Optimism, and Wellness clinic at Grady, and provides clinical care for young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis. Dr. Ku is currently funded from the National Institute of Mental Health K23 Career Development Award to investigate the impact of neighborhood characteristics on neurobiology and conversion to psychosis among youth at high-risk. His research provides a novel integration of multiple levels of investigation including public health, neuroscience, and developmental studies in humans to discover novel targets for intervention both at the individual and neighborhood levels to prevent or mitigate psychosis. Dr. Ku has won numerous research and teaching awards, and been invited to give presentations about his research and the social determinants of mental health at various national and international conferences. His research findings have been featured in Medscape, PBS, and New York Times Magazine.

Academic Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Degrees

BA from Columbia University
MD from Hofstra University
PhD from Maastricht University

Research

Publications

Association of social and environmental exposures at the neighborhood level with child brain volume.
Environ Int Volume: 201 Page(s): 109576
07/01/2025 Authors: Dimitrov LV; Christensen GM; Ku BS; Risk BB; Huels A
The role of childhood social fragmentation and perceived discrimination on maladaptive core schemas later in life among young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis and healthy comparisons.
Schizophr Res Volume: 279 Page(s): 71 - 78
05/01/2025 Authors: Diomino A; Yuan Q; Cadenhead KS; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cannon TD; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH; Perkins DO; Stone WS
Medicaid Expansion and County-Level Suicide: Disparities Based on Rurality and Mental Health Provider Shortages.
Psychiatr Serv Page(s): appips20240444
04/11/2025 Authors: Ku BS; Dieci M; Yuan Q; Druss BG
Neighborhood social fragmentation in relation to impaired mismatch negativity among youth at clinical high risk for psychosis and healthy comparisons.
Neuropsychopharmacology
04/02/2025 Authors: Ku BS; Hamilton H; Yuan Q; Parker DA; Roach BJ; Bachman PM; Belger A; Carrin RE; Duncan E; Johannesen JK
Cluster profiles of distressing psychotic-like experiences among children and associations with genetic risk, prenatal cannabis exposure, and social-environmental characteristics.
Schizophr Res Volume: 278 Page(s): 119 - 127
04/01/2025 Authors: Yuan Q; Chen Y; Xu Y; Dimitrov LV; Risk BB; Walker EF; Huels A; Ku BS
Relations of temporoparietal connectivity with neighborhood social fragmentation in youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis.
Schizophr Res Volume: 277 Page(s): 151 - 158
03/01/2025 Authors: Aberizk K; Sefik E; Yuan Q; Cao H; Addington JM; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Cornblatt BA; Keshavan M
Exposure profiles of social-environmental neighborhood factors and persistent distressing psychotic-like experiences across four years among young adolescents in the US.
Psychol Med Volume: 55 Page(s): e53
02/17/2025 Authors: Ku BS; Yuan QE; Christensen G; Dimitrov LV; Risk B; Huels A
Neighborhood ethnoracial diversity and positive psychotic symptoms among youth at high-risk and healthy comparisons.
Psychiatry Res Volume: 342 Page(s): 116222
12/01/2024 Authors: Ku BS; Yuan Q; Haardrfer R; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Cornblatt BA; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH
Developmental perspectives on the origins of psychotic disorders: The need for a transdiagnostic approach.
Dev Psychopathol Volume: 36 Page(s): 2559 - 2569
12/01/2024 Authors: Walker EF; Aberizk K; Yuan E; Bilgrami Z; Ku BS; Guest RM
Occasional cannabis use is associated with higher premorbid functioning and IQ in youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis: Parallel findings to psychosis cohorts.
Schizophr Res Volume: 271 Page(s): 319 - 331
09/01/2024 Authors: Kennedy L; Ku BS; Addington J; Amir CM; Bearden CE; Cannon TD; Carrin R; Cornblatt B; Keshavan M; Perkins D
Neurocognition in adolescents and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis: Predictive stability for social and role functioning.
Schizophr Res Volume: 271 Page(s): 129 - 137
09/01/2024 Authors: Carrin RE; Ku BS; Dorvil S; Auther AM; McLaughlin D; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Keshavan M
Relations of Lifetime Perceived Stress and Basal Cortisol With Hippocampal Volume Among Healthy Adolescents and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.
Biol Psychiatry Volume: 96 Page(s): 401 - 411
09/01/2024 Authors: Aberizk K; Addington JM; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Cornblatt BA; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH; Perkins DO; Stone WS
Exposure profiles of social-environmental neighborhood factors and psychotic-like experiences.

08/29/2024 Authors: Ku B; Yuan Q; Christensen GM; Dimitrov L; Risk B; Huels A
Associations Between Genetic Risk, Physical Activities, and Distressing Psychotic-like Experiences.
Schizophr Bull
08/22/2024 Authors: Ku BS; Yuan Q; Arias-Magnasco A; Lin BD; Walker EF; Druss BG; Ren J; van Os J; Guloksuz S
The association between neighborhood-level social fragmentation and distressing psychotic-like experiences in early adolescence: the moderating role of close friends.
Psychol Med Volume: 54 Page(s): 2172 - 2180
07/01/2024 Authors: Ku BS; Ren J; Compton MT; Druss BG; Guo S; Walker EF
Aspects of Area Deprivation Index in Relation to Hippocampal Volume Among Children.
JAMA Netw Open Volume: 7 Page(s): e2416484
06/03/2024 Authors: Ku BS; Aberizk K; Feurer C; Yuan Q; Druss BG; Jeste DV; Walker EF
County-level neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome rates and real-world access to buprenorphine during pregnancy: An audit ("secret shopper") study in Missouri.
Drug Alcohol Depend Rep Volume: 10 Page(s): 100218
03/01/2024 Authors: Bedrick BS; Cary C; O'Donnell C; Marx C; Friedman H; Carter EB; Raghuraman N; Stout MJ; Ku BS; Xu KY
Social connections as determinants of cognitive health and as targets for social interventions in persons with or at risk of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders: a scoping review.
Int Psychogeriatr Volume: 36 Page(s): 92 - 118
02/01/2024 Authors: Joshi P; Hendrie K; Jester DJ; Dasarathy D; Lavretsky H; Ku BS; Leutwyler H; Torous J; Jeste DV; Tampi RR
The association between county-level mental health provider shortage areas and suicide rates in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry Volume: 88 Page(s): 48 - 50
01/01/2024 Authors: Ku BS; Barrera Flores FJ; Congdon P; Yuan Q; Druss BG
Association of Childhood Area-Level Ethnic Density and Psychosis Risk Among Ethnoracial Minoritized Individuals in the US.
JAMA Psychiatry Volume: 80 Page(s): 1226 - 1234
12/01/2023 Authors: Anglin DM; Espinosa A; Addington J; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Cornblatt BA; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH; Perkins DO; Stone W
Urbanicity and psychotic disorders: Facts and hypotheses.
Dialogues Clin Neurosci Volume: 25 Page(s): 122 - 138
12/01/2023 Authors: Pignon B; Szke A; Ku B; Melchior M; Schrhoff F
Associations Between Childhood Area-Level Social Fragmentation, Maladaptation to School, and Social Functioning Among Healthy Youth and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.
Schizophr Bull Volume: 49 Page(s): 1437 - 1446
11/29/2023 Authors: Ku BS; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Compton MT; Cornblatt BA; Druss BG; Glksz S; Mathalon DH
Associations between childhood ethnoracial minority density, cortical thickness, and social engagement among minority youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis.
Neuropsychopharmacology Volume: 48 Page(s): 1707 - 1715
11/01/2023 Authors: Ku BS; Collins M; Anglin DM; Diomino AM; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Cornblatt BA; Druss BG
Lexical Diversity and Other Linguistic Measures in Schizophrenia: Associations With Negative Symptoms and Neurocognitive Performance.
J Nerv Ment Dis Volume: 211 Page(s): 613 - 620
08/01/2023 Authors: Compton MT; Ku BS; Covington MA; Metzger C; Hogoboom A
Residential instability during adolescence predicts earlier age at onset of psychosis: The moderating role of extraversion.
Early Interv Psychiatry Volume: 17 Page(s): 527 - 531
05/01/2023 Authors: Ku BS; Walker EF; Druss BG; Murray CR; Compton MT
Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Living in a Food Desert among Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses in Public Mental Health Clinics.
Community Ment Health J Volume: 59 Page(s): 357 - 362
02/01/2023 Authors: Compton MT; Ku BS
The Association Between Neighborhood Poverty and Hippocampal Volume Among Individuals at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis: The Moderating Role of Social Engagement.
Schizophr Bull Volume: 48 Page(s): 1032 - 1042
09/01/2022 Authors: Ku BS; Aberizk K; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Carrin RE; Compton MT; Cornblatt BA; Druss BG
A Sleepless Night on Ifosfamide: A Case of Mania Following Cancer Chemotherapy
Volume: 63 Page(s): S15 - S15
05/01/2022 Authors: Ku B; Schwartz A; Smith A
The associations between area-level residential instability and gray matter volumes from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) consortium.
Schizophr Res Volume: 241 Page(s): 1 - 9
03/01/2022 Authors: Ku BS; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Compton MT; Cornblatt BA; Druss BG; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH
Social Fragmentation and Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.
J Clin Psychiatry Volume: 83
12/07/2021 Authors: Ku BS; Compton MT; Walker EF; Druss BG
Association between residential instability at individual and area levels and future psychosis in adolescents at clinical high risk from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) consortium.
Schizophr Res Volume: 238 Page(s): 137 - 144
12/01/2021 Authors: Ku BS; Addington J; Bearden CE; Cadenhead KS; Cannon TD; Compton MT; Cornblatt BA; Keshavan M; Mathalon DH; Perkins DO
Computational linguistic analysis applied to a semantic fluency task: A replication among first-episode psychosis patients with and without derailment and tangentiality.
Psychiatry Res Volume: 304 Page(s): 114105
10/01/2021 Authors: Ku BS; Pauselli L; Covington MA; Compton MT
Associations between mental health shortage areas and county-level suicide rates among adults aged 25 and older in the USA, 2010 to 2018.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry Volume: 70 Page(s): 44 - 50
01/01/2021 Authors: Ku BS; Li J; Cathy Lally; Compton MT; Druss BG
Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation blocks stress-induced activation of Interleukin-6 and interferon- in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.
Brain Behav Immun Health Volume: 9 Page(s): 100138
12/01/2020 Authors: Bremner JD; Gurel NZ; Jiao Y; Wittbrodt MT; Levantsevych OM; Huang M; Jung H; Shandhi MH; Beckwith J; Herring I
Associations Between Primary Care Provider Shortage Areas and County-Level COVID-19 Infection and Mortality Rates in the USA.
J Gen Intern Med Volume: 35 Page(s): 3404 - 3405
11/01/2020 Authors: Ku BS; Druss BG
Neighborhood Predictors of Outpatient Mental Health Visits Among Persons With Comorbid Medical and Serious Mental Illnesses.
Psychiatr Serv Volume: 71 Page(s): 906 - 912
09/01/2020 Authors: Ku BS; Lally CA; Compton MT; Druss BG
Neighborhood-level predictors of age at onset and duration of untreated psychosis in first-episode psychotic disorders.
Schizophr Res Volume: 218 Page(s): 247 - 254
04/01/2020 Authors: Ku BS; Pauselli L; Manseau M; Compton MT
HEART FAILURE POST-DISCHARGE TELEMONITORING IN A SAFETY-NET HOSPITAL REDUCES 30-DAY READMISSIONS
Volume: 75 Page(s): 1058 - 1058
03/24/2020 Authors: Prabhakar P; Carter V; Merchant M; Alsalem A; Ku B; Grant A; Bess C; Wirth D; Ogunniyi M
Cyclical cardiorenal syndrome in late-stage kidney disease.
Clin Nephrol Volume: 90 Page(s): 180 - 184
09/01/2018 Authors: Ku BS; Fishbane S
Computational linguistic analysis applied to a semantic fluency task to measure derailment and tangentiality in schizophrenia.
Psychiatry Res Volume: 263 Page(s): 74 - 79
05/01/2018 Authors: Pauselli L; Halpern B; Cleary SD; Ku BS; Covington MA; Compton MT
Developing a Clinical Prediction Rule for First Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infections: A Retrospective Observational Study.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol Volume: 37 Page(s): 896 - 900
08/01/2016 Authors: Press A; Ku BS; McCullagh L; Rosen L; Richardson S; McGinn T

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