HOPE ON THE HORIZON
University of Houston Researchers on the Front Lines of Advancing Dementia Treatment and Prevention
When Dr. Reeta Achari, a Houston neurologist, appeared before Texas lawmakers last year in support of spending billions of dollars on dementia research, she boiled down the stakes into a single, powerful truth.
“One of the most beautiful aspects of humanity is the collection of cherished memories we make with our loved ones — from weddings to births, meals together, birthdays and holiday traditions,” Achari said. “One cannot question the deep pain of having someone you love no longer recognize you and remember the decades spent together.”
When Dr. Reeta Achari, a Houston neurologist, appeared before Texas lawmakers last year in support of spending billions of dollars on dementia research, she boiled down the stakes into a single, powerful truth.
“One of the most beautiful aspects of humanity is the collection of cherished memories we make with our loved ones — from weddings to births, meals together, birthdays and holiday traditions,” Achari said. “One cannot question the deep pain of having someone you love no longer recognize you and remember the decades spent together.”
DEMENTIA BY THE NUMBERS
450,000
Texans suffer from Alzheimer's
450,000 Texans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, costing families $20.6B per year
20%
expected increase by 2030
More than 500,000 Alzheimer’s cases expected by 2030, a 20% increase
3rd highest
Alzheimer's rate in USA
Texas ranks 3rd in the nation in the number of Alzheimer’s cases and 2nd in number of Alzheimer’s deaths
At the University of Houston, that urgency is already being met at scale.
Across 12 of UH’s 16 colleges, more than 100 faculty are working on research tied to brain health — from prevention and early detection to caregiving supports and new therapies — backed by $62.5 million in active grants. It’s a portfolio that reflects a defining advantage of UH: the ability to bring together disciplines that rarely share a table, then translate discovery into solutions that can reach patients, families and communities.
As Texas’ population ages — the fastest-growing age group is people over 65 — and dementia cases are projected to rise sharply, the need for sustained, collaborative research has never been more urgent. Dementia science is complex and often slow-moving, requiring long-term investment and collaboration across disciplines that don’t traditionally work side by side.
The University of Houston’s proximity to the Texas Medical Center and its central role within Houston’s clinical landscape strengthen that work — but the real differentiator is the breadth of work already underway. Drawing on strengths in neuroscience, health sciences, engineering, biology and data analysis, teams across the university are tackling brain health from multiple angles at once, with students embedded in the work and innovation designed for real-world use.
FOCUS ON PREVENTION
At UH’s Department of Health and Human Performance in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Stacey Gorniak, a professor of motor behavior, is driven by urgency — and by scale.
“We’re doing what we can to alleviate symptoms once a diagnosis is in place, but the holy grail of this research is prevention,” Gorniak says. “That is where we believe we can make the greatest difference for future generations.”
Gorniak is focused not just on how dementia progresses, but on what happens long before a diagnosis is ever made. She is exploring dementia as a multifaceted disease, shaped by interconnected systems such as cardiovascular health, metabolism, chronic pain and sleep.
UH Professor Stacey Gorniak and UH Student Alaina Rowan inside the Motion Analysis room. Professor Gorniak is going over the testing process.
UH Professor Stacey Gorniak and UH Student Alaina Rowan inside the Motion Analysis room. Professor Gorniak is going over the testing process.
“At UH, one of our greatest strengths is the depth of our research in different sciences and being able to apply it in different ways.”
“One of the things we’re studying is how sleep quality, hormonal changes and the immune system interact in midlife women,” says Hai-Chau Hoang, a junior public health major and one of Gorniak’s assistants. “Understanding these connections could help us uncover early signs of dementia and ultimately inform ways to prevent cognitive decline later in life.”
UH Graduate Student Saba Yazdekhasti, UH Student Hai Chau Hoang, UH Professor Stacey Gorniak, and UH Student Alaina Rowan looking at data created from the Digitimer constant current stimulator
UH Graduate Student Saba Yazdekhasti, UH Student Hai Chau Hoang, UH Professor Stacey Gorniak, and UH Student Alaina Rowan looking at data created from the Digitimer constant current stimulator
Gorniak says UH’s role in her work is rooted in the breadth of expertise among both faculty and students. Through a collaborative approach, Gorniak is building connections across disciplines and strengthening pathways from laboratories to communities, turning foundational science into practical applications.
“At UH, one of our greatest strengths is the depth of our research in different sciences and being able to apply it in different ways,” Gorniak says. “When we carry that knowledge forward into new challenges like dementia, we’re transforming what we already know into new discoveries that can change lives.”
INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS
At UH, dementia research doesn’t stop in the lab — it moves toward tangible treatments and technologies designed for real-world use.
That mindset is at the heart of Jokūbas Žiburkus’ work at the UH Multidisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience and Dementia and Brain Haven, the cutting-edge startup born from his neuroscience courses.
Žiburkus, an associate professor of biology and biochemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is using sensory stimulation — primarily scents and sounds — to enhance brain function and quality of life at a fraction of the cost of traditional therapeutics.
“My research explores how specific smell and sound protocols can influence learning, well-being and memory in aging populations,” Žiburkus said. “By studying these largely overlooked, non-pharmaceutical stimuli, we’re looking for ways to improve cognition and memory, including for patients in the early stages of dementia.”
UH Associate Professor Jokūbas Žiburkus analyzing a mixture of individual molecules like terpin while UH Graduate Student Gail Aflalo holds a EEG headband used to monitor brand activity
UH Associate Professor Jokūbas Žiburkus analyzing a mixture of individual molecules like terpin while UH Graduate Student Gail Aflalo holds a EEG headband used to monitor brand activity
“We are creating powerful intersections between basic and clinical science, engineering, math, business and other disciplines rarely housed together in traditional medical settings to drive advancements and pioneer new solutions.”
For Gail Aflalo, a first-year doctoral student in optometry, who co-founded Brain Haven with Žiburkus, the research is deeply personal.
“I’ve seen firsthand how music can reach people even as memory fades,” Aflalo said. “That’s what inspired me to collaborate with Professor Žiburkus to explore non-pharmacological, sensory-based approaches that use sound and other stimuli to meaningfully improve quality of life for people living with cognitive decline.”
Aflalo’s work also points to where dementia research at UH is headed: toward ideas that move quickly from insight to application and gain strength through cooperation across the University.
“Dementia research is multifaceted and we have a uniquely complementary mix of expertise that few places can match,” Žiburkus said. “We are creating powerful intersections between basic and clinical science, engineering, math, business and other disciplines rarely housed together in traditional medical settings to drive advancements and pioneer new solutions.”
TURNING INVESTMENT INTO IMPACT
With much of this work already underway, a major statewide investment is poised to significantly expand its reach.
Brain health research in Texas is now on the fast track with the creation of the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas and a transformative $3 billion investment over the next 10 years — an opportunity that positions UH to expand its work in prevention, discovery and treatment.
“By uniting prevention, innovation and collaboration at UH, we’re focused on preserving what matters most — memory, independence and quality of life — for patients, families and caregivers across Texas and beyond.”
A TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENT
- Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT)
- $3 billion over 10 years
- $300 million in funding available each year
A TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENT
- Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT)
- $3 billion over 10 years
- $300 million in funding available each year
That momentum was on display at the inaugural “Dementia Unlocked” symposium at UH in January, where leading neuroscience researchers and scholars from across Texas gathered to exchange ideas, explore emerging technologies and strengthen collaborations.
UH Biology Professor Jokūbas Žiburkus introducing the keynote speaker Professor Jeannie Chin from Baylor College of Medicine
UH Biology Professor Jokūbas Žiburkus introducing the keynote speaker Professor Jeannie Chin from Baylor College of Medicine
With new statewide investment fueling progress and partnerships expanding across campus and throughout the region, UH’s role in brain health research is entering a pivotal moment — not as a single program, but as a coordinated portfolio. For researchers like Žiburkus, the work underway today reflects both urgency and possibility.
“Our work has the potential to change the trajectory of dementia,” Žiburkus said. “By uniting prevention, innovation and collaboration at UH, we’re focused on preserving what matters most — memory, independence and quality of life — for patients, families and caregivers across Texas and beyond.”
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