Tjitske Heida

Tjitske Heida is an Associate Professor in the Biomedical Signals and Systems department at the TechMed Centre. Her research focuses on movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, with a focus on neuroengineering solutions such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), functional MRI analysis, and wearable sensor technologies. She explores neural mechanisms underlying motor control and develops innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Her work integrates neuroimaging (fMRI), electrophysiological recordings, and computational modeling to study sensorimotor pathways and network connectivity. Recent projects include ankle sensor-based detection of freezing of gait, intraoperative tremor quantification using accelerometry, and novel fMRI approaches to manipulate sensorimotor loops in tremor patients.

Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being. Collaborations span neurology, biomedical engineering, and clinical neurophysiology. While no explicit awards or grants are listed, her extensive publication record (117+ outputs) demonstrates sustained academic impact.

She oversees research activities involving advanced technologies like augmented reality cues for gait improvement and directional DBS electrode modeling. Her team’s work bridges clinical needs with engineering innovation to address unmet challenges in movement disorder management.