Julio Rojas, MD, PhD

Associate Professor
Fields of Interest

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.

Publications

Functional Connectivity Associations With Markers of Disease Progression in GRN Pathogenic Variant Carriers.

Flagan TM, Chu SA, Häkkinen S, Zhang L, McFall D, Rohrer JD, Brown JA, Lee AJ, Fernhoff K, Pasquini L, Rankin KP, Mandelli ML, Gorno-Tempini ML, Yokoyama JS, Sturm VE, Appleby B, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Foroud T, Geschwind DH, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford NR, Hsiung GR, Huang EJ, Huey E, Kantarci K, Litvan I, Mackenzie IR, Mendez MF, Onyike CU, Petrucelli L, Ramos EM, Roberson ED, Rojas JC, Tartaglia MC, Toga AW, Weintraub S, Forsberg LK, Heuer HW, Boeve BF, Boxer AL, Rosen HJ, Miller BL, Moreno F, Seeley WW, Lee SE, ALLFTD Consortium

Moderating effects of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein along the Alzheimer's disease continuum.

Lee SY, Diaz VE, Emanuel OM, Matusz EF, Webb J, Chan B, Lago AL, Wang WE, DeSimone J, Rojas JC, VandeVrede L, La Joie R, Levy SA, Arias F, Wiens BA, Velez-Uribe I, Barker WW, Paolillo EW, Sanderson-Cimino M, Rosselli M, Rayaprolu S, Rundek T, Curiel Cid RE, Vaillancourt DE, Armstrong MJ, Marsiske M, DeKosky ST, Loewenstein DA, Duara R, Smith GE, Staffaroni A, Rabinovici GD, Casaletto KB, Kramer JH, Saloner R, Asken BM

Author Correction: Large-scale network analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid proteome identifies molecular signatures of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Saloner R, Staffaroni AM, Dammer EB, Johnson ECB, Paolillo EW, Wise A, Heuer HW, Forsberg LK, Lario-Lago A, Webb JD, Vogel JW, Santillo AF, Hansson O, Kramer JH, Miller BL, Li J, Loureiro J, Sivasankaran R, Worringer KA, Seyfried NT, Yokoyama JS, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Seeley WW, VandeVrede L, Ljubenkov PA, Bayram E, Bozoki A, Brushaber D, Considine CM, Day GS, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Faber K, Galasko DR, Gendron T, Geschwind DH, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford N, Hales CM, Honig LS, Hsiung GR, Huey ED, Kornak J, Kremers W, Lapid MI, Lee SE, Litvan I, McMillan CT, Mendez MF, Miyagawa T, Pantelyat A, Pascual B, Masdeu J, Paulson HL, Petrucelli L, Pressman P, Rademakers R, Ramos EM, Rascovsky K, Roberson ED, Savica R, Snyder A, Sullivan AC, Tartaglia MC, Vandebergh M, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Rojas JC, Boxer AL, Casaletto KB, ALLFTD Consortium

Large-scale network analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid proteome identifies molecular signatures of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Saloner R, Staffaroni AM, Dammer EB, Johnson ECB, Paolillo EW, Wise A, Heuer HW, Forsberg LK, Lario-Lago A, Webb JD, Vogel JW, Santillo AF, Hansson O, Kramer JH, Miller BL, Li J, Loureiro J, Sivasankaran R, Worringer KA, Seyfried NT, Yokoyama JS, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Seeley WW, VandeVrede L, Ljubenkov PA, Bayram E, Bozoki A, Brushaber D, Considine CM, Day GS, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Faber K, Galasko DR, Gendron T, Geschwind DH, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford N, Hales CM, Honig LS, Hsiung GR, Huey ED, Kornak J, Kremers W, Lapid MI, Lee SE, Litvan I, McMillan CT, Mendez MF, Miyagawa T, Pantelyat A, Pascual B, Masdeu J, Paulson HL, Petrucelli L, Pressman P, Rademakers R, Ramos EM, Rascovsky K, Roberson ED, Savica R, Snyder A, Sullivan AC, Tartaglia MC, Vandebergh M, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Rojas JC, Boxer AL, Casaletto KB, ALLFTD Consortium

Sex differences in the clinical manifestation of autosomal dominant frontotemporal dementia.

Memel M, Staffaroni AM, Ilan-Gala I, Castro JG, Kornak J, Tartaglia CM, Saloner R, VandeBunte AM, Paolillo EW, Cadwallader CJ, Chen C, Gorno-Tempini ML, Mandelli M, Apostolova L, Graff-Radford N, Litvan I, Bayram E, Pressman PS, Miyagawa T, Mackenzie I, Goldman J, Darby RR, Appleby BS, Petrucelli L, Gendron T, Heuer HW, Forseberg LK, Rojas JC, Boeve BF, Brushaber N, Domoto-Reilly K, Ghoshal N, Lapid M, Pascual B, Lee S, Ramos EM, Ramanan V, Rademakers R, Rascovsky K, Pantelyat A, Masdeu JC, Snyder A, Boxer AL, Rosen HJ, Casaletto K, ALLFTD Consortium

Brain aging rejuvenation factors in adults with genetic and sporadic neurodegenerative disease.

Casaletto KB, Saloner R, Kornak J, Staffaroni AM, Villeda S, Paolillo E, VandeBunte AM, Cadwallader CJ, Lario Lago A, Webb J, Chen C, Rascovsky K, Miyagawa T, Ramos EM, Masdeu JC, Pantelyat A, Tartaglia MC, Bozoki A, Pressman PS, Rademakers R, Kremers W, Darby R, Younes K, Pascual B, Ghoshal N, Lapid M, Mackenzie IRA, Li J, Hsiung GR, Hall JN, Yutsis MV, Litvan I, Henderson VW, Sivasankaran R, Worringer K, Domoto-Reilly K, Synder A, Loureiro J, Kramer JH, Heuer H, Forsberg LK, Rosen HJ, Boeve B, Rojas JC, Boxer AL

CSF Proteomics in Patients With Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Wise A, Li J, Yamakawa M, Loureiro J, Peterson B, Worringer K, Sivasankaran R, Palma JA, Mitic L, Heuer HW, Lario-Lago A, Staffaroni AM, Clark A, Taylor J, Ljubenkov PA, Vandevrede L, Grinberg LT, Spina S, Seeley WW, Miller BL, Boeve BF, Dickerson BC, Grossman M, Litvan I, Pantelyat A, Tartaglia MC, Zhang Z, Wills AA, Rexach J, Rojas JC, Boxer AL, as the 4-Repeat Tauopathy Neuroimaging Initiative

Examining Associations Between Smartphone Use and Clinical Severity in Frontotemporal Dementia: Proof-of-Concept Study.

Paolillo EW, Casaletto KB, Clark AL, Taylor JC, Heuer HW, Wise AB, Dhanam S, Sanderson-Cimino M, Saloner R, Kramer JH, Kornak J, Kremers W, Forsberg L, Appleby B, Bayram E, Bozoki A, Brushaber D, Darby RR, Day GS, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Elahi F, Fields JA, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford N, G H Hall M, Honig LS, Huey ED, Lapid MI, Litvan I, Mackenzie IR, Masdeu JC, Mendez MF, Mester C, Miyagawa T, Naasan G, Pascual B, Pressman P, Ramos EM, Rankin KP, Rexach J, Rojas JC, VandeVrede L, Wong B, Wszolek ZK, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Boxer AL, Staffaroni AM, ALLFTD Consortium

Evaluating the Effect of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Biomarker Change in Corticobasal Syndrome and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Garcia-Cordero I, Anastassiadis C, Khoja A, Morales-Rivero A, Thapa S, Vasilevskaya A, Davenport C, Sumra V, Couto B, Multani N, Taghdiri F, Anor C, Misquitta K, Vandevrede L, Heuer H, Tang-Wai D, Dickerson B, Pantelyat A, Litvan I, Boeve B, Rojas JC, Ljubenkov P, Huey E, Fox S, Kovacs GG, Boxer A, Lang A, Tartaglia MC, 4-R-Tauopathy Neuroimaging Initiative Consortium, and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiativ

Large-scale network analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid proteome identifies molecular signatures of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Saloner R, Staffaroni A, Dammer E, Johnson ECB, Paolillo E, Wise A, Heuer H, Forsberg L, Lago AL, Webb J, Vogel J, Santillo A, Hansson O, Kramer J, Miller B, Li J, Loureiro J, Sivasankaran R, Worringer K, Seyfried N, Yokoyama J, Seeley W, Spina S, Grinberg L, VandeVrede L, Ljubenkov P, Bayram E, Bozoki A, Brushaber D, Considine C, Day G, Dickerson B, Domoto-Reilly K, Faber K, Galasko D, Geschwind D, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford N, Hales C, Honig L, Hsiung GY, Huey E, Kornak J, Kremers W, Lapid M, Lee S, Litvan I, McMillan C, Mendez M, Miyagawa T, Pantelyat A, Pascual B, Paulson H, Petrucelli L, Pressman P, Ramos E, Rascovsky K, Roberson E, Savica R, Snyder A, Sullivan AC, Tartaglia C, Vandebergh M, Boeve B, Rosen H, Rojas J, Boxer A, Casaletto K

[18F]PI-2620 Binding Patterns in Patients with Suspected Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Blazhenets G, Soleimani-Meigooni DN, Thomas W, Mundada N, Brendel M, Vento S, VandeVrede L, Heuer HW, Ljubenkov P, Rojas JC, Chen MK, Amuiri AN, Miller Z, Gorno-Tempini ML, Miller BL, Rosen HJ, Litvan I, Grossman M, Boeve B, Pantelyat A, Tartaglia MC, Irwin DJ, Dickerson BC, Baker SL, Boxer AL, Rabinovici GD, La Joie R

Feasibility and acceptability of remote smartphone cognitive testing in frontotemporal dementia research.

Taylor JC, Heuer HW, Clark AL, Wise AB, Manoochehri M, Forsberg L, Mester C, Rao M, Brushaber D, Kramer J, Welch AE, Kornak J, Kremers W, Appleby B, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Fields JA, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford N, Grossman M, Hall MG, Huey ED, Irwin D, Lapid MI, Litvan I, Mackenzie IR, Masdeu JC, Mendez MF, Nevler N, Onyike CU, Pascual B, Pressman P, Rankin KP, Ratnasiri B, Rojas JC, Tartaglia MC, Wong B, Gorno-Tempini ML, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Boxer AL, Staffaroni AM

Multisite ALLFTD study modeling progressive empathy loss from the earliest stages of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.

Toller G, Cobigo Y, Callahan P, Appleby BS, Brushaber D, Domoto-Reilly K, Forsberg LK, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford J, Graff-Radford NR, Grossman M, Heuer HW, Kornak J, Kremers W, Lapid MI, Leger G, Litvan I, Mackenzie IR, Pascual MB, Ramos EM, Rascovsky K, Rojas JC, Staffaroni AM, Tartaglia MC, Toga A, Weintraub S, Wszolek ZK, Boeve BF, Boxer AL, Rosen HJ, Rankin KP, ALLFTD consortium

Temporal order of clinical and biomarker changes in familial frontotemporal dementia.

Staffaroni AM, Quintana M, Wendelberger B, Heuer HW, Russell LL, Cobigo Y, Wolf A, Goh SM, Petrucelli L, Gendron TF, Heller C, Clark AL, Taylor JC, Wise A, Ong E, Forsberg L, Brushaber D, Rojas JC, VandeVrede L, Ljubenkov P, Kramer J, Casaletto KB, Appleby B, Bordelon Y, Botha H, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Fields JA, Foroud T, Gavrilova R, Geschwind D, Ghoshal N, Goldman J, Graff-Radford J, Graff-Radford N, Grossman M, Hall MGH, Hsiung GY, Huey ED, Irwin D, Jones DT, Kantarci K, Kaufer D, Knopman D, Kremers W, Lago AL, Lapid MI, Litvan I, Lucente D, Mackenzie IR, Mendez MF, Mester C, Miller BL, Onyike CU, Rademakers R, Ramanan VK, Ramos EM, Rao M, Rascovsky K, Rankin KP, Roberson ED, Savica R, Tartaglia MC, Weintraub S, Wong B, Cash DM, Bouzigues A, Swift IJ, Peakman G, Bocchetta M, Todd EG, Convery RS, Rowe JB, Borroni B, Galimberti D, Tiraboschi P, Masellis M, Finger E, van Swieten JC, Seelaar H, Jiskoot LC, Sorbi S, Butler CR, Graff C, Gerhard A, Langheinrich T, Laforce R, Sanchez-Valle R, de Mendonça A, Moreno F, Synofzik M, Vandenberghe R, Ducharme S, Le Ber I, Levin J, Danek A, Otto M, Pasquier F, Santana I, Kornak J, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Rohrer JD, Boxer AL, Frontotemporal Dementia Prevention Initiative (FPI) Investigators

Comprehensive cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of plasma neurofilament light across FTD spectrum disorders.

Gendron TF, Heckman MG, White LJ, Veire AM, Pedraza O, Burch AR, Bozoki AC, Dickerson BC, Domoto-Reilly K, Foroud T, Forsberg LK, Galasko DR, Ghoshal N, Graff-Radford NR, Grossman M, Heuer HW, Huey ED, Hsiung GR, Irwin DJ, Kaufer DI, Leger GC, Litvan I, Masdeu JC, Mendez MF, Onyike CU, Pascual B, Ritter A, Roberson ED, Rojas JC, Tartaglia MC, Wszolek ZK, Rosen H, Boeve BF, Boxer AL, ALLFTD consortium, Petrucelli L

Effect of the Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor FRM-0334 on Progranulin Levels in Patients With Progranulin Gene Haploinsufficiency: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Ljubenkov PA, Edwards L, Iaccarino L, La Joie R, Rojas JC, Koestler M, Harris B, Boeve BF, Borroni B, van Swieten JC, Grossman M, Pasquier F, Frisoni GB, Mummery CJ, Vandenberghe R, Le Ber I, Hannequin D, McGinnis SM, Auriacombe S, Onofrj M, Goodman IJ, Riordan HJ, Wisniewski G, Hesterman J, Marek K, Haynes BA, Patzke H, Koenig G, Hilt D, Moebius H, Boxer AL

Plasma phosphorylated tau 217 and phosphorylated tau 181 as biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a retrospective diagnostic performance study.

Thijssen EH, La Joie R, Strom A, Fonseca C, Iaccarino L, Wolf A, Spina S, Allen IE, Cobigo Y, Heuer H, VandeVrede L, Proctor NK, Lago AL, Baker S, Sivasankaran R, Kieloch A, Kinhikar A, Yu L, Valentin MA, Jeromin A, Zetterberg H, Hansson O, Mattsson-Carlgren N, Graham D, Blennow K, Kramer JH, Grinberg LT, Seeley WW, Rosen H, Boeve BF, Miller BL, Teunissen CE, Rabinovici GD, Rojas JC, Dage JL, Boxer AL, Advancing Research and Treatment for Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration investigators

Best Practices in the Clinical Management of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Syndrome: A Consensus Statement of the CurePSP Centers of Care.

Bluett B, Pantelyat AY, Litvan I, Ali F, Apetauerova D, Bega D, Bloom L, Bower J, Boxer AL, Dale ML, Dhall R, Duquette A, Fernandez HH, Fleisher JE, Grossman M, Howell M, Kerwin DR, Leegwater-Kim J, Lepage C, Ljubenkov PA, Mancini M, McFarland NR, Moretti P, Myrick E, Patel P, Plummer LS, Rodriguez-Porcel F, Rojas J, Sidiropoulos C, Sklerov M, Sokol LL, Tuite PJ, VandeVrede L, Wilhelm J, Wills AA, Xie T, Golbe LI

Plasma Neurofilament Light for Prediction of Disease Progression in Familial Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Rojas JC, Wang P, Staffaroni AM, Heller C, Cobigo Y, Wolf A, Goh SM, Ljubenkov PA, Heuer HW, Fong JC, Taylor JB, Veras E, Song L, Jeromin A, Hanlon D, Yu L, Khinikar A, Sivasankaran R, Kieloch A, Valentin MA, Karydas AM, Mitic LL, Pearlman R, Kornak J, Kramer JH, Miller BL, Kantarci K, Knopman DS, Graff-Radford N, Petrucelli L, Rademakers R, Irwin DJ, Grossman M, Ramos EM, Coppola G, Mendez MF, Bordelon Y, Dickerson BC, Ghoshal N, Huey ED, Mackenzie IR, Appleby BS, Domoto-Reilly K, Hsiung GR, Toga AW, Weintraub S, Kaufer DI, Kerwin D, Litvan I, Onyike CU, Pantelyat A, Roberson ED, Tartaglia MC, Foroud T, Chen W, Czerkowicz J, Graham DL, van Swieten JC, Borroni B, Sanchez-Valle R, Moreno F, Laforce R, Graff C, Synofzik M, Galimberti D, Rowe JB, Masellis M, Finger E, Vandenberghe R, de Mendonça A, Tagliavini F, Santana I, Ducharme S, Butler CR, Gerhard A, Levin J, Danek A, Otto M, Sorbi S, Cash DM, Convery RS, Bocchetta M, Foiani M, Caroline V G, Peakman G, Russell L, Swift I, Todd E, Rohrer JD, Boeve BF, Rosen HJ, Boxer AL

Diagnostic Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilament Light Protein in Neurology: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Bridel C, van Wieringen WN, Zetterberg H, Tijms BM, Teunissen CE, Alvarez-Cermeño JC, Andreasson U, Axelsson M, Bäckström DC, Bartos A, Bjerke M, Blennow K, Boxer A, Brundin L, Burman J, Christensen T, Fialová L, Forsgren L, Frederiksen JL, Gisslén M, Gray E, Gunnarsson M, Hall S, Hansson O, Herbert MK, Jakobsson J, Jessen-Krut J, Janelidze S, Johannsson G, Jonsson M, Kappos L, Khademi M, Khalil M, Kuhle J, Landén M, Leinonen V, Logroscino G, Lu CH, Lycke J, Magdalinou NK, Malaspina A, Mattsson N, Meeter LH, Mehta SR, Modvig S, Olsson T, Paterson RW, Pérez-Santiago J, Piehl F, Pijnenburg YAL, Pyykkö OT, Ragnarsson O, Rojas JC, Romme Christensen J, Sandberg L, Scherling CS, Schott JM, Sellebjerg FT, Simone IL, Skillbäck T, Stilund M, Sundström P, Svenningsson A, Tortelli R, Tortorella C, Trentini A, Troiano M, Turner MR, van Swieten JC, Vågberg M, Verbeek MM, Villar LM, Visser PJ, Wallin A, Weiss A, Wikkelsø C, Wild EJ

Clinical value of cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain in semantic dementia.

Meeter LHH, Steketee RME, Salkovic D, Vos ME, Grossman M, McMillan CT, Irwin DJ, Boxer AL, Rojas JC, Olney NT, Karydas A, Miller BL, Pijnenburg YAL, Barkhof F, Sánchez-Valle R, Lladó A, Borrego-Ecija S, Diehl-Schmid J, Grimmer T, Goldhardt O, Santillo AF, Hansson O, Vestberg S, Borroni B, Padovani A, Galimberti D, Scarpini E, Rohrer JD, Woollacott IOC, Synofzik M, Wilke C, de Mendonca A, Vandenberghe R, Benussi L, Ghidoni R, Binetti G, Niessen WJ, Papma JM, Seelaar H, Jiskoot LC, de Jong FJ, Donker Kaat L, Del Campo M, Teunissen CE, Bron EE, Van den Berg E, Van Swieten JC

Poly(GP), neurofilament and grey matter deficits in C9orf72 expansion carriers.

Meeter LHH, Gendron TF, Sias AC, Jiskoot LC, Russo SP, Donker Kaat L, Papma JM, Panman JL, van der Ende EL, Dopper EG, Franzen S, Graff C, Boxer AL, Rosen HJ, Sanchez-Valle R, Galimberti D, Pijnenburg YAL, Benussi L, Ghidoni R, Borroni B, Laforce R, Del Campo M, Teunissen CE, van Minkelen R, Rojas JC, Coppola G, Geschwind DH, Rademakers R, Karydas AM, Öijerstedt L, Scarpini E, Binetti G, Padovani A, Cash DM, Dick KM, Bocchetta M, Miller BL, Rohrer JD, Petrucelli L, van Swieten JC, Lee SE