Mirka Janssen

Mirka Janssen serves as a Professor at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, leading the “Physical Activity In and Around School” research group within Urban Vitality. Her work focuses on integrating movement into educational environments to enhance child development and public health outcomes across Dutch preschool and primary school settings.

Her research centers on motor competence, physical activity levels, and health-related fitness in children, with emphasis on cluster randomized trials in early childhood education. Key interests include perceived motor competence, weight status dynamics, and practical school-based interventions like short activity breaks and motor skills support pathways. She bridges academic research with professional implementation through collaborations with educators and policymakers.

Recent publications reveal a dual focus: practical professional tools for teachers (e.g., “Bewegingstussendoortjes”) and rigorous academic investigations into biopsychosocial dynamics of child physical activity. Her work consistently addresses implementation challenges in real-world educational contexts while exploring longitudinal relationships between motor skills, fitness, and health outcomes.

Scientific recognition includes:

• 3rd place TulipMed prize for Sports Medicine (2015)
• Winner V&W Public Health Prize (2015)

Janssen actively advises the Dutch cabinet on school physical activity policy and engages extensively with professional networks. As a member of the “Netwerk coördinatoren bewegingsonderwijs” since 2021, she develops teacher training programs and contributes to national movement education frameworks through presentations, media commentary, and collaborative projects like the Stimuliz training initiative.

She directs the “Physical Activity In and Around School” research group under Urban Vitality, coordinating interdisciplinary teams to evaluate interventions such as the “Ondersteuningsroute Bewegen en Motoriek” framework. Current projects analyze datasets from studies like “Echnaton” while developing pedagogical resources for outdoor learning environments.