Patricia Garcia, PsyD, knew from a young age that she wanted to be in "the business of helping people."
"I love being a part of people's recovery stories," said Garcia, a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor of clinical neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, who grew up watching both of her parents work in healthcare. "Seeing patients go from their lowest point to then progress in a positive direction — there’s no feeling that compares to that degree of happiness, knowing that you played a part in their recovery."
Garcia specializes in the neurocognitive and psychiatric assessment of adult patients living with neurodegenerative disorders affecting cognition and personality, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Prior to joining the Department of Neurology in 2023, Garcia worked as a staff neuropsychologist at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana and as an adjunct clinical professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the IU School of Medicine. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a focus on neuropsychology from Albizu University-Miami.
"What drew me to the IU School of Medicine from a clinical standpoint was the opportunity to work with a wide variety of patients," said Garcia, who is also a member of the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (IADRC). "I also knew I would receive academic support to continue pursuing research that I’m passionate about."
Her research focuses on cross-cultural neuropsychology — specifically how the role of cultural factors, such as acculturation and bilingualism, influence risk of neurodegeneration and recovery among Hispanic patients.
Healthcare inequality in the Hispanic community
Approximately 13% of Hispanics aged 65 and older in the United States are living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Despite this population being one-and-a-half times more likely to develop the disease compared to older white adults, Hispanic patients often face significant barriers to care, including limited access, language and underrepresentation in research.
Similar disparities can be seen in Hispanic patients living with traumatic brain injuries, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. This population faces higher rates of severe injuries and poorer rehabilitation outcomes compared to non-Hispanic patients.
Garcia said she was first exposed to the reality of healthcare disparities during her fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital.
"Being in Florida, I assumed that because there was such a large network of services and patients who spoke Spanish or were bilingual/bicultural, it would lead to better or more resources," Garcia said. "I was confronted with the reality that a lot of our patients that we were seeing in the hospital were not getting the proper follow-up. That opened this chapter for me of wanting to learn more about why those gaps in care exist and what I could do to better serve patients."
Garcia joined several research teams through the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine including the Culture and Diversity in Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force, which she co-founded in 2022 and previously served on as the chair until 2025. She has also co-authored papers that have examined the inclusion of Spanish-speaking populations in clinical research trials as they apply to traumatic brain injury.
"If patients are non-English speaking or have low levels of acculturation, how are we treating those individuals as clinicians? If the patient is bilingual, do we treat their cognitive assessment differently considering their bicultural status? Are we implementing any cultural modifications to the treatments we offer? Not surprisingly," Garcia said, "in our studies, we found poor integration and minimal inclusion of all those patients."
"If that is what we are seeing in the cognitive rehab world, then what happens in other clinic spaces like clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias? What treatments can we offer these patients? What else can we do to maximize cultural adaptation to Spanish-speaking patients and ensure better health outcomes?"
Garcia has continued pursuing answers to those questions through research projects at the IU School of Medicine.
Along with the team at the IADRC, Garcia is leading two pilot studies that investigate the recruitment and retention of Hispanic populations in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The studies aim to identify motivators and barriers that influence participation in clinical trials. Results will help investigators develop strategies that will increase interest in research participation and eventually advance new therapies.
"It’s been eye-opening in multiple ways," Garcia said. "What we learned through the survey responses is that the community has something to say, but oftentimes they don’t know who to talk to about their concerns, or they don’t know the ways that IU is trying to connect with the Hispanic community. If you give them an avenue for speaking their mind and an opportunity for partnership, Hispanic organizations and community members will usually take it."
‘Relationship building’ with patients
The lessons from Garcia’s research directly inform her clinic's operations. She believes that achieving best outcomes requires clinicians to clearly explain diagnoses and treatment options while also actively listening to the unique needs and questions of patients and their families.
"Relationship building takes time," Garcia said. "Earlier last year, I had cancellations of patients who refused to leave their homes to come to the clinic for their appointment with me because they did not trust that their personal information would be protected. After about a month or so, we were able to get them back on track, but moments like these caused us to pause and acknowledge that fear is real for some communities more than others.
"We now go above and beyond in explaining to all patients that their clinical history is protected. We've found that providing deep reassurance before the work even begins creates a foundation of safety that has transformed our clinical culture for the better."
Garcia is a first-generation immigrant from Havana, Cuba, and she lived in Venezuela for several years before she made the United States her home at the age of 13.
"I have intimate knowledge about the challenges too common for immigrant families, the time and effort it takes to start again and the intention behind integrating to a larger culture for serving and leading optimally," said Garcia, who is the first person in her family to obtain a doctoral degree in the United States.
"I am proud and thankful for the clinical and scientific community that has helped make my work possible, and I look forward to continuing to expand neuropsychological services to Hispanic and other underserved communities in the state."
Guadalupe Ponce Pedraza, a bilingual neuropsychology technician who works alongside Garcia, said Hispanic patients are usually anxious when they first arrive to the clinic because they are unsure what to expect. By the end of the visit, patients leave "feeling truly heard and valued as human beings."
"You see a lot of the nerves ease once the patient and their families hear somebody speaking their language," Pedraza said. "Having to communicate through an interpreter — which is often done digitally — not only takes time, but it also takes that authentic feeling away because you’re not hearing directly from the patient’s voice. You’re hearing a filtered version of it.
"Being able to say, 'I speak Spanish. Dr. Garcia speaks Spanish. We will be here to walk you through the process and answer any questions and concerns you have’ makes such a huge difference.'"
Pedraza grew up as a Latina immigrant and is the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree thanks to the support of numerous community groups like La Plaza, the oldest and largest Latino-serving organization in Central Indiana. She is proud to be a part of the work happening at the IU School of Medicine for the communities that she says helped shape her.
"I don’t think there's another clinic in Indiana that offers such specialized care for Spanish-speaking communities like ours does," Pedraza said. "Being able to give back in this way is personally very rewarding."
Beyond the clinic, Garcia strengthens community ties by connecting directly with Hispanic families in and around Indianapolis. As the co-leader of the IADRC’s Hispanic Community Advisory Board and member of the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, she spearheads educational initiatives for the Spanish-speaking community that focus on brain health, early disease detection and the critical need for diverse participation in clinical research.
She is also a member of community organizations including Mujeres Conectadas and Mejorando Juntos Indiana (Better Together Indiana). Both groups focus on providing education and support to the Hispanic community, including older adults at risk of dementia.
"I believe it's so important to meet patients where they are at," Garcia said. "If we want to see change in our clinical and research numbers, we must also go out and bring the education and research to them."
