prof. dr. Maria Hopman

About Maria Hopman

The research of Maria Hopman is best summarized by the theme Healthy Aging or Preventive Medicine. The  overall goal of her research is to improve 'health' and to understand the concept of ' vitality' of individuals as they age from conception to decease by unraveling the mechanisms that explain the relationship between inactivity and the development of chronic diseases as well as exercise and health.  Interventions such as exercise that are known to counteract the detrimental health processes are explored and optimized. Her research is focused on vascular physiology and pathophysiology as well as on metabolic aspects of health, thereby focusing on patients with cardiovascular disease, the metabolic syndrome and diabetes, with emphasize on primary and secondary prevention. The research has a strong history in human in vivo experiments in several patient groups and in healthy volunteers from all ages. The last couple of years the research has been expanded from the human in vivo to the molecular and the genetic level, which is a highly innovative and promising combination.A parallel line is the research performed in large sports events (Four day marches, Seven hill race, Eindhoven marathon). The purpose of this research is to provide safety guidelines for organizations and participants based on physical exertion and risks measured during those events. This type of research has a strong interest from the media and the society.