Frank E. Garcea

Frank E. Garcea, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. His research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying tool use, apraxia, and stroke recovery. He employs neuropsychological testing, fMRI, and lesion-symptom mapping to study brain injury effects on functional connectivity and action knowledge.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, St. John Fisher College (2006–2010)
• PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester (2012–2017)

Research Interests:

Dr. Garcea investigates how brain regions like the parietal cortex and dorsal/ventral streams mediate object manipulation and tool use. His work explores stroke-related disconnection syndromes, motor speech coordination networks, and translational brain mapping to preserve neural function during surgery. He collaborates on projects involving epilepsy patients undergoing electrocorticography to study action-related neural pathways.

Labs & Affiliations:

Principal Investigator of the Garcea Lab at URMC, focusing on tool use deficits in brain tumor/stroke survivors. Affiliated with the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and the Neurobiology & Anatomy Program. His lab integrates neuroimaging, lesion analysis, and clinical care to advance personalized brain mapping strategies.