Em. prof. dr. Ruud Meulenbroek

Researcher at Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour

Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands


Address

Em. prof. dr. R.G.J. Meulenbroek

Donders Centre for Cognition

P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE  Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Email: ruud.meulenbroek@donders.ru.nl


Teaching

Between 1996 and 2025 I contributed to psychology courses at the Radboud University.

Between 2006-2013 I was director of the two-year Research Master Programme Cognitive Neuroscience.

In 2007 I received a personal chair in Psychology of Movement and Sport.

Between 2013-2020 I was director of the School of Psychology and Artificial Intelligence.

In 2023-2024 I was interim director of the Research Master Programme Cognitive Neuroscience.

In April 2025 I retired.


Courses

B2:

Perception, Action and Development

B3:

Human Motor Control and Sport

M1:

Motor control

CNS:

AI:

Academic Writing
Advanced Academic and Professional Skills


Research

In 1984 I started motor control research, in particular studies on the information processes that underlie goal-directed arm, hand and finger movements. Following an investigation of handwriting acquisition, I studied the biomechanical and cognitive determinants of sequencing in drawing. In the 1990s my research turned to joint coordination in reaching and grasping. Together with David Rosenbaum, Jonathan Vaughan and Chris Jansen, I developed a computational model of joint coordination capable of simulating aiming, grasping, drawing, and handwriting movements. Around 2000 my research interests extended to motor control and joint action, in particular how in shared task performance such as in sports, people learn to take into account the intentions and movements of their partners. Applied contexts in which the latter processes were equestrian sports, RSI, and physical therapy, where the movements of therapist and patient were scrutinized in learning paradigms for assessment and treatment purposes. Together with Derrick Brown, I extended kinematic assessments of movement stability and flexibility to lower limb movements in sports and performing arts, i.e. dance (duets).


Projects

1984-1989

Handwriting development and training 

Funded by the Radboud University

1989-1993

Sequencing in drawing

Funded by The Dutch National Science Foundation (NWO)

1993-1998

Sequencing and coordination in complex human movements

Funded by The Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)

2001-2006

Object manipulation from a perception-action perspective

Research programme funded by The Dutch National Science Foundation (NWO)

in collaboration with the universities of Utrecht, Amsterdam and Maastricht

2003-2007

Apprehending the effects of alignment and orientation illusions on human action 

Funded by the Faculty of Social Sciences (Radboud University)

2004-2009

Joint Action Science and Technology
Funded by the European Commission

2009-2010

Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience

Prestiguous grant

2012-2020

Neuromotor flexibility following trauma to the lower extremities
Funded by the HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen

2013-2020

Joint Action Coordination Dynamics in Professional Dance

Funded by the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour

2014-2017

Risk Assessment in Repetitive Strain Injury

HealthPAC: Perception and Action in Health and Disease (PITN-GA-2013-604063)


Publications
You can find a list of downloadable publications here.