Helco G. van Keeken (born in the Netherlands, 1973) obtained the Atheneum degree at the KSG De Breul in Zeist in 1993. He studied Physical Therapy at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, which he graduated from in 1997. He was awarded cum laude for his internships. The subject of his thesis was 'the segmental dysregulation'. After this study, he started working at the Rehabilitation Department of the Academical Medical Center Amsterdam in 1998, focusing on the orthopedic patient. In the four years that he worked there, he was involved in several innovative projects (CAREN, (E)Motions; Gait Analysis Internet Application (GAIA)) in collaboration with Motek BV. Amsterdam and University of Groningen, the Netherlands. These projects were funded by the European Community. In 2002 he started working as a scientific researcher at the University of Groningen, where he started his PhD study under supervision of Prof. Dr. E. Otten. This study was part of the project 'Postural Control After Lower Limb Amputation; changes in body representation and the recovery of postural control', in which the Center for Human Movement Sciences of the University of Groningen collaborated with the Center for Rehabilitation of the University Medical Center of Groningen and the Orthopedic Workshop Haren (OIM Foundation), the Netherlands. From 2007, he is working as a reseacher and a university teacher at the University of Groningen and as of 2016 he is also coordinator of the HMS Skills lab.

Main topics

• Postural control during stance & gait • Assistive technology • Classification in rehabilitation and adaptive sports • Motor control and learning • Virtual reality & virtual environments

Frame work

• Functional ability • Focus of attention, differential and discovery learning • (Real time) feedforward and feedback information for motor control and learning • Muscle synergies and reflexes • Neuromechanics & Energetics

Tools

• Biomechanics • Signal acquisition and analysis • CAREN & Grail • Instrumented treadmill • Prosthetic legs (kneewalker)

Courses

• M-Gait certified operator (2015) • CAREN certified operator (2014) • BROK (2013) • BKO (2011)