Research

AFR primarily conducts research in the fields of occupational therapy, orthotics, and biomechanics. The research is primarily coordinated through the research environment Studies on Integrated Health and Welfare (SIHW).

CHILD - Children, Health, Intervention, Learning, Development

Occupational therapy research within the CHILD research environment focuses on developing preventive measures regarding trauma that causes concussions in children and, together with researchers in orthotics, evaluating the outcomes of new treatment methods for children with balance and walking difficulties following cerebral palsy, such as training with the Nintendo Wii Fit video game.

Doctoral Education

Doctoral education in orthotics and occupational therapy is carried out within some of the research subjects included in the Research School of Health and Welfare.

Prosthetics and Orthotics

The focus of JU’s research in prosthetics and orthotics is to strengthen clinical education of prosthetist/orthotists, advance service delivery, and improve functional outcomes for individuals who use assistive technologies.

We recognize that prosthetic and orthotic devices influence not only physical function but also psychological well-being and social participation. To capture this complexity, our research employs both quantitative and qualitative methods, allowing us to build a holistic understanding of how people use their devices and interact with their environments.

Our work is supported by a well-equipped motion analysis laboratory, which includes:

A 12-camera Qualisys 3D motion analysis system
Five floor-mounted force plates (4 AMTI, 1 Kistler)
A 16-channel Delsys wireless EMG system
Tekscan pressure mapping technology
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) for cortical brain activity
A NeuroCom Balance Master
An IsoMed isokinetic dynamometer
Digital scanning systems (Canfit and VXelement)

Out team currently consists of approximately 11 researchers and research-interested staff, as well as 3 doctoral students. We collaborate extensively with national and international partners — including companies, service providers, and end users — to ensure that our research is both scientifically rigorous and directly relevant in real-world contexts.

Current projects

Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science

Our research focuses on occupations of daily life and their relation to people’s participation, health and well-being. This includes perspectives at the individual, group, and societal level.

Examples of research areas include:

Everyday life and Place
Health promotive interventions
Instrument development
Occupational balance
Participation in society
Technology use in daily life
Working life

Our team currently consists of researchers and research-interested faculty, as well as doctoral students. We collaborate extensively with national and international partners in academia and beyond to ensure that the research is relevant in practice. These collaborations include local communities, various organizations, companies, and, above all, the individuals affected by the research.