Specifically, you can think of the following research questions (for example): How can we stimulate motor development and an active lifestyle in children? How can we help children find the sport that suits them best, and how can we help them in their development towards peak performance? How do you prevent injuries and optimize athletic performance? How do people use vision to control their actions?
Our driving force is working together to develop knowledge on (mechanisms of) human movement and performance. We apply this scientific knowledge to optimize movement and performance in the context of sport and exercise. We do this by enhancing physical activity levels, motor performance and athletic performance allowing individuals to unlock their fullest potential. Our interdisciplinary research is set in laboratory, sport and school settings.
Our research focuses on four research themes:
This study introduces PAL (Physically Active Learning) lessons for special primary education, in collaboration with educators, to enhance academic performance, learning behavior, and physical activity.
Website: Hands-On! Qualitative observation tool for fine motor skills
Researcher: Esther Hartman
Motor skills in children have declined in recent decades, impacting their ability to maintain an active lifestyle. This study explores factors influencing motor performance and skill quality in both typically developing and special populations to inform targeted interventions.
Website: Fit & Vaardig op school
Researcher: Joanne Smith
In this project we investigate how everyday psychosocial stressors, such as fatigue, daily hassles, or anxiety, might predict anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female football players. By collecting weekly self-reported data from young female players (12–21 years old), the study aims to identify modifiable mental-health risk factors and develop club guidelines to foster stress–recovery practices that could lower the risk of ACL injury.
Website: Het verband tussen psychosociale factoren en knieblessures bij vrouwelijke voetballers
Researcher: Anne Benjaminse
The performance of talented speed skaters is monitored throughout their sports career. To better understand the mechanisms of development, their multidimensional performance characteristics (i.e., physical, technical, tactical, and psychological skills) are tested and reported back to their trainers and coaches to optimize their performance.
Website: Innovatielab Thialf
Researchers: Marije Elferink-Gemser or Inge Stoter
This project investigates how interpersonal coordination emerges when people perform joint tasks, analysing how individuals adapt their movements and decisions to one another in real-time. By studying coordination dynamics in contexts such as sports and performing arts, the project aims to identify the informational and environmental factors that shape effective collective performance and to translate these insights into practical training methods.
Website: Interpersonal Coordination and Performance in Social Systems
Researcher: Harjo de Poel
Lateral interception by one or by two individuals is a research project focused on understanding how people visually and behaviorally coordinate to intercept moving objects, either alone or together. Hosted by the Human Movement Sciences group at the University Medical Center Groningen as part of the REPAIRS ETN programme, the project investigates the informational coupling that guides individual and joint interception actions, such as in a “doubles pong” task where two players must work together to catch a virtual ball.
Website: ESR project 5 - Towards a therapeutic interaction game: the informational coupling in joint interception
Researcher: Frank Zaal
In ESR Project 5 (REPAIRS), researchers use the doubles-pong paradigm, where two participants control paddles along one axis to jointly intercept a falling virtual ball, to systematically manipulate ball trajectories and how strongly each player’s input affects paddle motion.
Website: REPAIRS to improve rehabilitation through understanding the connection between perception and action
Researcher: Raoul Bongers
Sportmonitor op Maat develops practical monitoring tools that capture young athletes’ physical load, mental strain, sleep, social factors, and recovery needs in a single integrated system. The project focuses on turning these data into clear, athlete-friendly insights that support healthier training decisions and long-term wellbeing.
Website: Sportmonitor op Maat
Researcher: Ruby Otter
The Resilience in Sports (RIS) project maps how athletes respond to physical and psychological stress by combining daily physiological measurements with moment-to-moment reports of mood, fatigue, and motivation. It aims to detect individual patterns of stress and recovery so athletes can receive timely, personalized guidance to maintain resilience throughout training and competition.
Website: Resilience in Sports
Researcher: Michel Brink
The “POINT: Is it Time to Rethink Aerobic Exercise Prescription Methods?” project reevaluates commonly used aerobic training prescriptions by examining how well traditional metrics reflect the intensity people actually experience during exercise. It argues for more accurate and individualized methods that better match physiological responses while remaining feasible for everyday training practice.
Website: POINT: Is it Time to Rethink Aerobic Exercise Prescription Methods?
Researcher: Carlo Ferri Marini
Department of Human Movement Sciences
Internal postcode FA23
PO Box 998
9700 AZ Groningen
The Netherlands
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
9713 AV Groningen
building 3215, 3th floor
