Refining recovery, restoring possibility

The University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) has long been dedicated to transforming lives through research, education, and community engagement. Now, a landmark partnership with PAM Health is expanding that mission in a new way through the newly named PAM Health Neurorehabilitation and Motor Performance Lab at UHCL's Health and Human Performance Institute (HHPI).

The facility was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on September 23, 2025, marking a milestone moment in healthcare and academic collaboration.

"Tonight is about more than a new facility or the naming of the facility," said UHCL President Dr. Richard Walker . "It's about the power of partnership."

This partnership represents more than a name on a wall. It is a visionary alignment between a leading rehabilitation healthcare provider and a university committed to innovation and social impact. The collaboration will support a multi-year, interdisciplinary research initiative focused on improving the lives of individuals with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and stroke.

Dr. William Amonette, professor in the Department of Health, Human, and Biomedical Sciences and executive director of HHPI, will lead the research as principal investigator. He brings years of experience exploring exercise and nutrition's impact on people with chronic diseases and disabilities. The partnership also opens the door to rare, hands-on research experience in a high-need area of healthcare, helping students launch careers in rehabilitation and biomedical science.

"Mr. Misitano sincerely cares about people. That was my very first impression of him," said Dr. Amonette, speaking of PAM Health CEO Anthony Misitano. "He's investing in research because he genuinely cares. He understands the impact of research - one novel discovery could change countless lives."

Dr. Amonette's vision is rooted in understanding the gaps in the current healthcare system.

"The problem in the healthcare system right now is that whenever you have a TBI, you have about nine to 13 months of insurance coverage. When that ends, they give you a chair and allow you to function, but rehabilitation essentially stops," Dr. Amonette explained. "And you can't just go to the gym, right? It's not easy to navigate 24 Hour Fitness. So, when we built this place, our motto was: 'We want to be the place you go when there's nowhere else you can go.'"

That philosophy helped shape the lab's purpose and its connection to real people, like Sean Carter, a young man living with the lasting effects of a TBI. In March 2005, Sean was involved in a car crash that completely changed his life.

"I had several fractures, and when I emerged from a 39-day coma, I was unable to walk or talk," Sean said. "So many things were wrong with my body that it might be easier to tell you what worked than what didn't work. My cognition was intact, but my body would not respond."

The road looked uncertain, and at times, Sean said he could not see the bigger picture, but that changed when he found UHCL's HHPI. Sean and his family drove from College Station twice a week to work with the HHPI team at UHCL, eventually relocating to the area.