The Sealy Center on Aging at UTMB has been redesignated as a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Centre with Rebeca Wong, PhD as director through 2026.

The mission of the UTMB SCOA WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center is to work to improve the health of older people in the Americas, with a focus on the neediest populations. The Center emphasizes research on health behaviors and outcomes among the elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean and Hispanic populations in the U.S.

This is accomplished by equipping countries with population data, proven best-practice tools, knowledge solutions, and expertise, and by activating networks and partnerships that catalyze and sustain positive change.