Scientific Staff
The scientific core team of the Neuromechanics section. For further details please click on the portraits.
Jaap van Dieën
Professor of Biomechanics
My research concentrates on effects of ageing, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders on human movement. My goal is to increase our understanding of movement-related causes and consequences of these disorders and related impairments. I aim to translate fundamental insights into clinically applicable procedures and to develop measurement tools that can be used outside the laboratory.
Mirjam Pijnappels
Professor Mobility in Ageing
My research aims are to understand the effects of ageing on neuromuscular and cognitive aspects of mobility (i.e., physical function and physical activity) and to implement this knowledge with assistive technology to maintain and promote mobility of older individuals in their own environment.
Annelies Pool-Goudzwaard
Professor Pelvis and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
My research focuses on musculoskeletal disorders in the low-back, pelvis and hip region and pelvic floor dysfunctions, such as urinary and faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The coexistence and interaction of these complaints are often overlooked by primary care providers. My aim is to understand the relations between these complaints with special attention to the motor control of the pelvic floor muscles and the quality of collagenous tissues. Based on this, I aim to develop diagnostic tests for care providers and to evaluate the use of these tests in primary care.
Michel Coppieters
Professor Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
My research focusses on physiotherapy for musculoskeletal conditions and persistent pain states. I aim to improve the clinical diagnosis, to develop and assess the effect of biologically plausible interventions, and to try to reveal the working mechanisms of these interventions. Our multidisciplinary team conducts research that spans from basic science experiments investigating the pathobiological mechanisms of musculoskeletal conditions and persistent pain states to large-scale randomised clinical trials to assess the efficacy of novel interventions. My overall aim is to improve musculoskeletal health.
Andrea Maier
Professor of Clinical Geriatrics
The aim of my research is to prevent age-related diseases by intervening in the ageing process using pharmacological and lifestyle interventions. I combine epidemiological with biological approaches to understand mechanisms of ageing and age related diseases in human cohorts of different ages. This understanding is the basis of personalized interventions to maximize the effect. My research team works interdisciplinary and globally.
Michel van den Bekerom
Professor of Sports Traumatology of the Upper Extremity
[Description of research aims]
Marco Hoozemans
Associate Professor
My main research interests focus on the upper extremities in work, rehabilitation and sports. I am interested in the epidemiology of upper extremity symptoms in this context. More specifically, I aim to understand how exposure to and the biomechanics of upper extremity actions are related to optimal and non-optimal upper extremity functioning. In addition, I have a general interest in research methodology and statistics in human movement sciences.
Huub Maas
Associate Professor
The overall objective of my research is to unravel the complex interactions between the musculoskeletal and neural systems during movement. For this purpose, both animal and human models are exploited. It has been my unique focus to study the mechanical and sensory action of skeletal muscles, not in isolation but in their in vivo context.
Idsart Kingma
Associate Professor
My main research interest is spine loading and effects of measures to reduce such loading, e.g. by ergonomics measures, improving lifting technique, and use of exoskeletons. In addition, I am interested in the cause, development and treatment of spine disorders. Another part of my research is focusing on sports biomechanics and the risk of sports injuries such as ankle sprains and knee anterior cruciate ligament ruptures.
Wendy Scholten-Peeters
Associate Professor
My teaching and research interests focus on the effectiveness of physiotherapy in patients with musculoskeletal pain, the accuracy of diagnostic tests in this field and the working mechanism of physiotherapy/manual therapy. My research mainly consists of clinical studies. I teach physiotherapy/ manual therapy for bachelor/Master students and clinical professionals in various (inter-)national faculties. Moreover I work as a manual physiotherapist in a multidisciplinary setting and I am the chair of the educational committee of the Dutch Association for Manual Therapy.
Sjoerd Bruijn
Assistant Professor
Sjoerd works in both Neurodynamics and Coordination Dynamics. He studies cortical activity during walking using EEG and TMS. His goal is to understand how the brain is involved in stabilizing gait. His fundamental approach finds applications in age-related balance problems.
Sina David
Assistant Professor
My research focuses on the identification of individual movement patterns and their relationship to musculoskeletal loading in both a sport and a health related context. The aim is to improve the rehabilitation and prevention of movement disorders by tailoring therapy and training interventions to the individual specific needs and capacities. The transfer of lab technology into real-world scenarios and the use of statistical procedures like machine learning to assess complex data is one of my major interests and is an essential framework in addressing the complex research questions in an applied setting.
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