Chiara Acquati, PhD, LMSW, FAOSW, is an associate professor at the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston.. She is also a Household-Centered Care program social work seminar instructor. She creates courses that integrate research and knowledge building in social work practice, evaluation of practice, and social work in health care settings to highlight the importance of close relationships for those who experience cancer from a disadvantage.
Dr. Acquati’s research focuses on identifying psychosocial issues experienced by cancer survivors and caregivers to show how interpersonal processes can contribute to mental health, coping, and wellbeing-related outcomes. She has been a part of many peer-reviewed journal articles, research proposals, funded research grants, books, book chapters, and presentations. In 2021, she won the award for “Best of the Best” for her poster on the Congruence of stress communication and relationship satisfaction among young women with their partners: A dyadic analysis from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.
Dr. Acquati earned her doctorate in social work at the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work. In addition, Acquati holds a Master of Social Work from Boston College, a Master of Arts in clinical psychology from Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. She is a licensed master social worker and has completed her certification in the Sexual Health Certificate Program from the University of Michigan.