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Research building

MoNuMind – network for lifestyle and prevention

 Research
Our current members
Lifestyle is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, determinants of health. Poor nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol use, inadequate sleep, and chronic stress are major contributors to the rising burden of chronic diseases. A significant part of the population does not adhere to guidelines for healthy living. For example, half of the Dutch population is overweight and also over half of the population does not meet the recommended amount of physical activity. The consequences are substantial, not only in terms of disease prevalence but also regarding quality of life and increasing healthcare costs. Although lifestyle has been part of public health, its importance for patients, especially those with chronic conditions, is becoming increasingly clear. However, knowledge developed in public health does not always translate directly into clinical care. Specific insights are needed to tailor lifestyle approaches to vulnerable populations and those living with (chronic) disease.

What is MoNuMind?

To address these urgent challenges, we proudly introduce the MoNuMind network for research and education on lifestyle and prevention. MoNuMind, which stands for Movement, Nutrition, and Mind, focuses on facilitating and promoting lifestyle research and education by sharing knowledge, building a strong research community, and developing tools that may assist researchers when performing lifestyle related studies. By embedding lifestyle into both scientific research and educational programs, we aim to develop more effective prevention strategies and treatments, and to train healthcare professionals to promote healthy living in clinical care. While primarily focusing on research and education, we also work closely together with lifestyle initiatives embedded in clinical practice such as the Groningen Leefstijl Interventie Model (GLIM).

Aligned with the strategic ambitions of UMCG — as part of Koers 25 and Koers 30 — MoNuMind concentrates on three core pillars: nutrition, physical activity, and mental well-being. Through cutting-edge research and strong internal and external collaborations, we aim to provide a solid scientific foundation for integrating lifestyle into healthcare, by and for the UMCG and its surrounding region.

MoNuMind collaborates closely with the Groningen Lifestyle Intervention Model (GLIM). While GLIM focuses on implementing lifestyle interventions directly in healthcare settings, MoNuMind’s core mission is advancing research and education in the field of lifestyle and health.

Together, we are committed to driving innovation in lifestyle care — with science, education, and meaningful collaboration at its core.
Relevance

How our research benefits to society

MoNuMind focuses on facilitating and promoting lifestyle research and education at the UMCG. More specifically, we aim to:

  • Promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle, mental wellbeing and prevention in the UMCG.
  • Build and share knowledge and expertise on physical activity nutrition and mental health for example related to research methodology, measurements and implementation. We will develop a toolbox for methodology and measurement instruments, and a toolbox for implementation that can help researchers in designing their studies.
  • Collaborate within networks on these topics to further strengthen each other.
  • Educate through the curricula of medical science, dental science and human movement science, as well as (future) healthcare professionals.
  • Actively contribute to healthcare innovations in lifestyle and prevention by research and education.

Timeline

  1. Toolbox

    Posted

    A toolbox for research methodology and measurement instruments for lifestyle research will be developed in 2026. In addition, a toolbox for implementation research will be developed.

  2. The launch of MoNuMind

    Posted

    MoNuMind – network for lifestyle and prevention will be launched during our first symposium on November 11th, 2025.

Part of

Contact

N. de Vries
Nienke de Vries Associate Professor