Inaugural Lecture of Professor Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten

Join Professor Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten for her Inaugural Lecture, hosted at the University of Birmingham's Edgbaston Campus (Alan Walters Building, G11, Lecture Theatre 2) on Thursday 27 March 2025. This is a hybrid event: you can register for virtual access via Zoom here.

'The heart of the matter: Stress, physical activity, and wellbeing'

In this lecture, Jet will present her research exploring the links between behaviour and wellbeing in different population, including older adults, young people and those with rheumatoid arthritis.. She will present her interdisciplinary work on how we respond to stress, how physical activity can support physical and mental health, and physical activity as a way to cope with stress.

Jet is a Professor in Biological Psychology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. She did a Masters Degrees in Human Movement Sciences and in Psychology, both at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She completed her PhD at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham. Following a RCUK research fellow post, she was appointed as a lecturer in Biological Psychology.

Jet’s interdisciplinary research investigates the impact of physical activity on physical and psychological health. Jet specifically focusses on populations where characteristics or circumstances of the population are barriers to physical activity and aims to support equal access to physical activity for all people, regardless of their individual characteristics or contextual circumstances.

Her research explores determinants of physical activity, and she works with populations to co-produce interventions to enhance physical activity to achieve health benefits, with specific expertise in working with people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Another line of research relates to the physiological and psychological responses to mental stress, and factors that can influence these responses, including inflammation and diet. Throughout her interdisciplinary research, she uses her background in (exercise) physiology and psychology. Jet is Director of Graduate Research of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Deputy Director of Centre for National Training and Research Excellence for Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB).

Everyone is welcome to this event, and all are invited to join Jet after the lecture for refreshments in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences Atrium (Y14 on the campus map).