Martijn Pisters

Martijn F. Pisters, PhD, PT is Associate Professor Physiotherapy Science at the UMC Utrecht Brain Center – Utrecht University and program coordinator of the educational master of science program Physiotherapy Science, Clinical Health Sciences at Utrecht University.

His research aims to contribute to empowering patients towards sustainable movement behavioural change.

His  research focuses on:

(1)     Movement behavioural patterns, exercise behaviour and adherence in relation to patients functioning and health;

(2)     Health behaviour coaching, eCoaching and monitoring technology to stimulate sustainable health and movement behavioural change;

(3)     Innovative integrated primary care models to improve self-management, long-term effectiveness and more personalized care, proactive prevention and integrated care.

Martijn Pisters is program leader and founder of the Center for Physiotherapy Research & Innovation in Primary Care (NL: Academische Werkplaats eerstelijns Fysiotherapie, www.awf.lrjg.nl), a collaboration in research, innovation and education between Fontys University of Applied Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and the Leidsche Rijn Julius Health Care Centers.

Furthermore, he is professor (lector) Empowering Healthy Behaviour, at the department Health Innovation and Technology, at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven and has extensive teaching experience in clinical research, methodology, statistics, and physiotherapy.

He currently supervises ten PhD students and coordinates several large studies, e.g. RISE cohort study on sedentary behaviour in stroke survivors (NWO); PARASOL study: proactive, integrated and blended primary care to prevent chronic medically unexplained physical symptoms (NWO); e-Exercise Low back Pain: blended physiotherapy in patients with low back pain (NWO); RISE intervention study on Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the RISE intervention to reduce and interrupt sedentary behaviour in community dwelling sedentary people after stroke (NWO); e-Exercise haemophilia: blended physiotherapy in primary care on to improve joint health, physical functioning and movement behaviour (Pfiser). Several research projects are conducted in international collaboration (e.g. Boston University, USA; New Castle University, Australia; Keele University, UK; KU Leuven, Belgium)

Martijn F. Pisters, PhD, PT graduated as Physiotherapist BSc (2002), Physiotherapy Scientist MSc (2006) and Clinical Epidemiologist MSc (2009). Besides working as a physiotherapist in primary care, he started in 2006 a PhD project at the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) and VU University Amsterdam. In 2010, he completed his PhD thesis on exercise adherence and long term effectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis. As a post-doc researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) he studied the course of physical functioning in elderly with osteoarthritis and primary care Cardiovascular Risk Management.