Julio C. Rojas, MD, PhD, is a neurologist at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia. He cares for patients experiencing cognitive difficulties or behavioral changes caused by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia (a form of dementia associated with cognitive impairments and Parkinson’s-like symptoms), frontotemporal dementia (which often presents with behavioral changes in younger adults), and progressive supranuclear palsy (a movement and behavioral disorder affecting older adults). With particular expertise in managing challenging dementia-related behaviors, Dr. Rojas develops personalized care plans to help patients and families achieve their best possible quality of life.
Dr. Rojas’s research focuses on developing diagnostic tools and treatments for dementia. He investigates blood biomarkers that could enable earlier and more accurate diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases. He also works on innovative approaches to prevent or slow the progression of neurological degeneration and cognitive decline. His research is supported by the National Institute on Aging.
Dr. Rojas earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, followed by a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin. He completed his residency in neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at UCSF.
A native of Mexico City, Dr. Rojas is bilingual in English and Spanish, enabling him to provide dementia care to patients across multiple communities and enhance access to dementia care for Hispanic populations in the United States. At UCSF, he co-chairs a task force focused on managing behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia.