Olga Boukrina, PhD

Headshot of Olga Boukrina, PhD on a black background

Senior Research Scientist

Department

Laboratory
Phone
973.324.3587
Email
[email protected]

Olga Bourkina, PhD, is senior research scientist in the Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research and the director of the Neurolinguistics and Brain Connectivity Laboratory at Kessler Foundation. She conducts cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuroscience research in language and reading and oversees the workflow of several imaging biomarker and treatment studies. Dr. Bourkina completed her doctoral training at Rutgers University with a concentration in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and functional neuroimaging.

Expertise
Functional and Structural Neuroimaging in Stroke
Neural Networks Underlying Spatial Cognition and Language
Alterations of Cerebral Blood Flow in Stroke and Stroke Recovery
Brain Connectivity as Predictor of Functional Impairments after Stroke
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow - Neuroscience, Rutgers University
PhD - Rutgers University with a concentration in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and functional neuroimaging
BA - Psychology, Binghamton University
Honors
K01 Award (1K01DC019178, NIDCD) for project titled Rehabilitation of reading deficits in subacute stroke using fMRI neurofeedback and motor imagery, 2021 – 2026
Bolger Trust Award for project titled “Rehabilitation of Reading Deficits in Subacute Stroke using fMRI Neurofeedback and Motor Imagery,” 2021 – 2023
R21 Award (1R21HD095488, NICHD/NCMRR) for project titled “Brain markers predicting reading recovery after stroke,” 2018 – 2021
AHA Scientist Development Grant (17SDG33660442), for project titled “Right brain stroke and the neural substrate of delirium,” 2017 – 2021
Mabel H. Flory Pilot Research Grant for project titled “Using neural networks to customize treatments for central alexias in persons with aphasia,” 2013 – 2022
Norman Samuels Scholarship, Rutgers University, 2007 – 2008
Cognitive Science Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2005 – 2006
Undergraduate Research Grant, Binghamton University, 2003 – 2004
H.B. Daly Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, Binghamton University, 2003 – 2004
Member, Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, 2001 – 2004
Member, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, 2001 – 2004
BA Summa Cum Laude, Binghamton University, 2001 – 2004
Research Interests

Dr. Bourkina’s long-term career goal is to grow an innovative and productive research program aimed at developing prognostic and therapeutic tools that help improve outcomes and quality of life after stroke. Some of the tools include studies on longitudinal neuroimaging of stroke-induced reading deficits and exploratory intervention based on the knowledge gained in biomarker studies. One study employs a novel, real-time fMRI neurofeedback technique to increase neural activity in the left hemisphere and improve recovery of reading in persons with aphasia. Another pilot study uses computational modeling to match a particular pattern of reading deficits with a treatment that focuses on major cognitive components of reading.

Publications

View a more comprehensive listing of publications for Dr. Bourkrina on ResearchGate.

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