Cougar CHAIN: Connecting Culture and Cognitive Health
How UH Students Are Charting a Path to Excellence Through Community Care
When the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work talks about excellence, Cougar CHAIN (Cougar Cognitive Health Initiative) is a living example. Launched in 2023 as part of the UH Cougar Initiative to Engage (CITE), CHAIN was designed to do more than teach skills—it was built to transform lives.
Under the advising and leadership of GCSW Associate Professor, Dr. Christina Miyawaki, the initiative aims to improve awareness of cognitive health and Alzheimer’s disease in Houston’s Vietnamese American community through culturally informed outreach.
“When I joined GCSW in 2015, I found no health data for older Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in Houston. After surveying their health data in 2018 and 2021 and learning how prevalent dementia was, I strongly felt we had to do something about it,” says Dr. Miyawaki. “Seeing our students interact with older Vietnamese people in their native language and how proud those elders feel—makes my day.” CHAIN not only introduces and assesses brain health but also goes beyond science, strengthening intergenerational relationships and cultural understanding.
Seeing our students interact with older Vietnamese people in their native language and how proud those elders feel—makes my day.
Since its inception, CHAIN has grown to five cohorts and 80+ students, with 44 active members today. With undergraduate and graduate students from health-related disciplines working side by side, gaining real-world experience while serving one of the city’s most vulnerable populations. Their work spans health fairs, screenings, and education, creating a bridge between generations and cultures. For many students, this is more than service—it’s personal.
“CHAIN is more than a research project. It’s a way to bring compassion and science together,” says Nguyen, a research assistant whose own family has been touched by Alzheimer’s.
The program’s impact is undeniable, providing hands-on learning opportunities for students, expanding access to care for communities, and earning recognition from respected organizations such as Mather Institute and Boat People SOS. CHAIN received the 2024 Mather Institute Promising Practices Award. This prestigious honor, now in its fourteenth year, celebrates organizations that are reshaping aging services through innovation, sustainability, and replicability. CHAIN stood out among global recipients for its unique approach of pairing college students with older adults in culturally informed outreach—an initiative that bridges generations while promoting cognitive health.
This award-winning program serves as a catalyst for new ideas that enhance the lives of older adults, reinforcing CHAIN’s role as a model for excellence and social responsibility. At its core, Cougar CHAIN embodies the spirit of Charting Our Path to Excellence, creating a future where academic excellence and social responsibility intersect.
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