Profile photo Anouk Hiensch

Anouk Hiensch

Assistant Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Anouk Hiensch has a background in Health Sciences (BSc) and Epidemiology (MSc, with distiction). From 2017-2021, she conducted her PhD on the effects of exercise in patients with cancer and its underlying mechanisms, at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center. After completing her PhD, Anouk continued working at the Julius Center. 

Her research focuses on elucidating the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of exercise in patients with cancer. Understanding the (patho)physiology is crucial to counteract the detrimental effects of cancer treatment. To get insight in part of the underlying mechanisms, she recently obtained a Boost-grand and an investigator initiated grant from WCRF. 

She is the scientific coordinator of two international exercise-oncology trials: PREFERABLE (H2020-funded) and PREFERABLE-II (Horizon Europe funded). She is also involved in national exercise-oncology trials, including PERFECT (completed), RADICES and SICILY. Anouk was involved in the development of a website for patients and healthcare providers about exercise and cancer (Bewegen-en-kanker-info). Furthermore, she joined the Roparun twice and cycled the Alpe d’Huez to raise money for cancer research (motto: Practice what you Preach).

Finally, Anouk serves in international webinar and educational committees, including the Cancer Cachexia Society Education Committee and International Society of Exercise Oncology webinar committee.

Recent publications

Evaluating the Impact of Post-Esophagectomy Exercise on 2- and 5-Year Survival David Binyam, J K van Vulpen, R van Hillegersberg, J P Ruurda, G A P Nieuwenhuijzen, E A Kouwenhoven, E van der Wall, R P R Groenendijk, D L van der Peet, C Rosman, B P L Wijnhoven, M I van Berge Henegouwen, H W M van Laarhoven, P D Siersema, Anne M May, A E Hiensch
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2024, vol. 57, p.327-336
Supervised, structured and individualized exercise in metastatic breast cancer Anouk E Hiensch, Johanna Depenbusch, Martina E Schmidt, Evelyn M Monninkhof, Mireia Pelaez, Dorothea Clauss, Nadira Gunasekara, Philipp Zimmer, Jon Belloso, Mark Trevaskis, Helene Rundqvist, Joachim Wiskemann, Jana Müller, Maike G Sweegers, Carlo Fremd, Renske Altena, Maciej Gorecki, Rhodé Bijlsma, Lobke van Leeuwen-Snoeks, Daan Ten Bokkel Huinink, Gabe Sonke, Ainhara Lahuerta, G Bruce Mann, Prudence A Francis, Gary Richardson, Wolfram Malter, Elsken van der Wall, Neil K Aaronson, Elzbieta Senkus, Ander Urruticoechea, Eva M Zopf, Wilhelm Bloch, Martijn M Stuiver, Yvonne Wengstrom, Karen Steindorf, Anne M May
Nature Medicine, 2024, vol. 30, p.2957–2966
Dropout from exercise trials among cancer survivors-An individual patient data meta-analysis from the POLARIS study Benedikte Western, Andreas Ivarsson, Ingvild Vistad, Ingrid Demmelmaier, Neil K Aaronson, Gillian Radcliffe, Marc van Beurden, Martin Bohus, Kerry S Courneya, Amanda J Daley, Daniel A Galvão, Rachel Garrod, Martine M Goedendorp, Kathleen A Griffith, Wim H van Harten, Sandi C Hayes, Fernando Herrero-Roman, Anouk E Hiensch, Melinda L Irwin, Erica James, Marlou-Floor Kenkhuis, Marie José Kersten, Hans Knoop, Alejandro Lucia, Anne M May, Alex McConnachie, Willem van Mechelen, Nanette Mutrie, Robert U Newton, Frans Nollet, Hester S Oldenburg, Ron Plotnikoff, Martina E Schmidt, Katie H Schmitz, Karl-Heinz Schulz, Camille E Short, Gabe S Sonke, Karen Steindorf, Martijn M Stuiver, Dennis R Taaffe, Lene Thorsen, Miranda J Velthuis, Jennifer Wenzel, Kerri M Winters-Stone, Joachim Wiskemann, Sveinung Berntsen, Laurien M Buffart
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2024, vol. 34, p.1-10
Is bewegen na de diagnose kanker veilig en effectief? Anouk Hiensch, Evelyn Monninkhof, Anne May
Huisarts en Wetenschap, 2024, vol. 67, p.26-30
Perspectives of patients with metastatic breast cancer on physical exercise programs Maike G. Sweegers, Johanna Depenbusch, Caroline S. Kampshoff, Neil K. Aaronson, Anouk Hiensch, Yvonne Wengström, Malin Backman, Nadira Gunasekara, Dorothea Clauss, Mireia Pelaez, Milena Lachowicz, Anne M. May, Karen Steindorf, Martijn M. Stuiver
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023, vol. 31
Mediating Role of Lifestyle Behaviors in the Association between Education and Cancer Alessandra Macciotta, Alberto Catalano, Maria Teresa Giraudo, Elisabete Weiderpass, Pietro Ferrari, Heinz Freisling, Sandra M. Colorado-Yohar, Carmen Santiuste, Pilar Amiano, Alicia K. Heath, Heather A. Ward, Sofia Christakoudi, Paolo Vineis, Deependra Singh, Salvatore Vaccarella, Matthias B. Schulze, Anouk E. Hiensch, Evelyn M. Monninkhof, Verena Katzke, Rudolf Kaaks, Rosario Tumino, Fulvio Lazzarato, Lorenzo Milani, Antonio Agudo, Christina C. Dahm, Laura Baglietto, Vittorio Perduca, Gianluca Severi, Sara Grioni, Salvatore Panico, Eva Ardanaz, Kristin B. Borch, Faith O. Benebo, Tonje Braaten, Maria Jose Sánchez, Claudia Giachino, Carlotta Sacerdote, Fulvio Ricceri
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2023, vol. 32, p.132-140