Karin Valkenet

Karin Valkenet is an associate professor at UMC Utrecht since April 2006, leading the research line "Hospital in Motion," which focuses on movement as a vital sign, data-driven movement care, and prehabilitation. Karin has served as a project manager for initiatives aimed at decreasing physical inactivity during hospital stays and contributed to the PREPARE study, an international multicenter randomized controlled trial on preoperative inspiratory muscle training for esophageal resection candidates. Karin's background includes working as a physiotherapist specializing in cardiac rehabilitation and a junior researcher involved in various clinical rehabilitation projects. Additionally, Karin is a senior researcher at Hogeschool Utrecht and co-founder of HoloMoves, an organization that develops Mixed Reality movement games and educational modules for inpatients, emphasizing playful design and patient empowerment. Karin holds a Master's degree in Health Sciences / Movement Sciences from Maastricht University and a Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from Zuyd Hogeschool.