Daniela Huber

Daniela Huber is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, with active research in nature-based therapeutic interventions. Her work focuses on how outdoor activities and natural environments contribute to physical and mental health outcomes, particularly through mountain hiking and forest therapy approaches. She leads and participates in multiple research projects examining health sustainability and rehabilitation practices, with significant contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and wellbeing.

Dr. Huber's research centers on nature-based therapy interventions, with particular expertise in mountain hiking and forest therapy. Her work investigates how these approaches impact physical health, mental wellbeing, and quality of life through rigorous methodologies including randomized controlled trials. She explores the therapeutic potential of alpine environments and natural health resources, with applications for rehabilitation settings and sustainable healthcare practices. Her research fingerprint shows strong expertise in Mountain Hiking (100%), Quality of Life (73%), Randomized Controlled Trials (51%), Sedentary Behavior (43%), Balneotherapy (43%), Frozen Shoulder (43%), and Forest Therapy (43%).

Her publication record demonstrates a clear trend toward evidence-based nature interventions for health, with recent work comparing mountain hiking and forest therapy approaches using robust research designs. These studies assess both physical and mental health outcomes, increasingly incorporating sustainability perspectives that examine how natural environments can be leveraged for therapeutic purposes while promoting ecological awareness in healthcare delivery.

Dr. Huber has received notable recognition for her work:

• IdeasUP! ideas competition 1st place special category: Artificial intelligence in working life: Confidence in differential diagnostics in physiotherapy (2018)
• Paracelsus Science Award in Silver (2020)

She actively leads and participates in significant research projects including HealthMeetsSustainability, RehabHeat 2.0, and REALISE, which focus on sustainable healthcare practices, heat stress management in rehabilitation facilities, and interprofessional training in primary healthcare. These projects demonstrate her commitment to innovative, evidence-based approaches that bridge natural environments with therapeutic practice across multiple institutions and disciplines.