Associate Professor Maayken van den Berg

Associate Professor (Research)

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

place Bedford Park (Rehab, FMC 4W138)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Associate Professor Maayken van den Berg is a Physiotherapist, Movement Scientist and holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences. Maayken worked at universities and health institutes in the Netherlands, UK and Spain before joining Flinders University in 2012 where she is currently the Course Coordinator for the postgraduate Clinical Rehabilitation programs, the Master of Health and Clinical Research program, and Interim Higher Degree by Research Coordinator for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Maayken’s research is interdisciplinary with a focus on allied health. She is interested in the evaluation of clinical practice and in exploring novel approaches to support rehabilitation and self-management, with a focus on neurological and aged care rehabilitation. Areas of research include use of (semi) independent therapy programs, caregiver-led exercise programs, and complex intervention programs. She also aims to understand the way modern technology can support people undergoing rehabilitation and contribute to enhanced clinical outcomes, working collaboratively with health services and industry. Outcomes of interest include mobility and physical activity as well as cognitive and psychosocial outcomes.

Maayken is passionate about working with allied health clinicians and research capacity building. She coordinates and teaches the research stream of the coursework Masters of Clinical Rehabilitation and coordinates and delivers the research topics of the Master of Health and Clinical Research program.

Maayken is a member of the Caring Futures Institute and Flinders Digital Health Research Centre.

Qualifications
BSc Physiotherapy
MSc Movement Sciences
PhD (School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK)
Honours, awards and grants

Maayken has been successful in travel award, internal funding and external funding applications. She has been co-investigator on projects externally funded for a total of > $3.8M. Maayken has previously received a Paper of the Year award (Journal of Physiotherapy) and the Vice President and Executive Dean's (CNHS) Teaching Award.

Key responsibilities

Interim CNHS HDR Coordinator

Course Coordinator Clinical Rehabilitation

Coordination Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation

Coordination Research Methods and Design in Heath and Clinical Settings (Master of Health and Clinical Research)

Topic coordinator
REHB9034 Clinical Research Methods
HLTH9111 Research Design and Ethics in Health and Clinical Settings
REHB9000 Clinical Research Design and Implementation
REHB9010 Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation
HLTH9110 Research Methods in Health and Clinical Settings
REHB8025 Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury
REHB8031 Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury
REHB8014 Using Virtual Reality and Robotics in Neuro-Rehabilitation
REHB8042 Neurological Gait and Balance Analysis and Wearable Sensor Technology in Rehabilitation
Supervisory interests
Acquired brain injury
Ageing
Chronic condition self-management
Digital health
Interdisciplinary research
Mobility
Neurological rehabilitation
Physical activity
Rehabilitation and aged care
Rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology
Stroke
Telerehabilitation
Virtual reality
Higher degree by research supervision
Current
Principal supervisor: Traumatic Brain Injury, remote vestibular assessment and intervention (telehealth and VR) (1), Traumatic Brain Injury, supporting children after parental Traumatic Brain Injury (digital toolbox) (1), Neurological assessment in physiotherapy (1), Stroke, use of Lokomat (pushing behaviour) (1), Aged care, exergames to improve physical and cognitive frailty (1), Integrating assistive technology into primary health care services (WHO Access to Assistive Technology) (1), Traumatic Brain Injury, physical exerise (clinical use Buffalo Concussion Test) (1)
Associate supervisor: Dementia, physiotherapy and rehabilitation (clinical practice guidelines) (1)
Completion
Principal supervisor: Mixed Rehab, exergames and impact on delivery of rehabilitation physiotherapy (1)
Associate supervisor: Mixed Rehab, activity monitoring, accuracy Fitbit (1), Stroke, use of Lokomat (cardiovascular exercise) (1), Frail elderly, feasibility and clinician uptake of telerehabilitation (1), Dementia, goal setting in rehabilitation (validity and responsiveness) (1)