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DFG Netzwerk | Movement in Dementia: Exploring the Embodied and Embedded Mind

Movement in Dementia: Exploring the Embodied and Embedded Mind (MOVIDEM) is an interdisciplinary research network dedicated to rethinking dementia through a movement-based framework. As dementia remains one of the greatest global societal challenges with no current cure, the network addresses the urgent need for holistic, non-pharmacological perspectives that move beyond traditional brain-centered paradigms.

The network’s core mission is to investigate the dynamic interplay between the mind, body, and environment. By integrating phenomenological philosophy, cognitive science, and medicine, MOVIDEM explores the "embodied and embedded mind in motion". This approach reconsiders classic cognitive domains—such as memory and orientation—as inherently physical and environmentally situated processes.

Strategic Objectives:

  • Scientific Innovation: Developing a new research paradigm that integrates 4E (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended) cognition into dementia studies.
  • Collaborative Capacity: Building a sustainable, transdisciplinary community of international experts and early-career researchers.
  • Societal Impact: Translating theoretical insights into practical applications for clinical care, architecture, and public policy to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.

Over a three-year period (2027–2029), the network will host four thematic workshops focusing on methodological integration, interaffectivity, and environmental design. Planned outputs include an edited volume, a special issue journal, an open-access white paper, and a policy brief to drive international discourse. Led by Dr. Erik Norman Dzwiza-Ohlsenand Prof. Dr. Gerd Kempermann, MOVIDEM serves as a critical incubator for innovative, movement-centered dementia research and therapy.

Funding

This project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

Project timeline as of 2027.

Main applicant: Dr. Erik Norman Dzwiza-Ohlsen

Co-Applicant: Prof. Dr. Gerd Kempermann

You can find more information on the DFG-Network page on GEPRIS.

Members of the Network (Alphabetical Order)

  1. Federico Carlassara, University of Palermo/University College Dublin
  2. Clara Cornaro, Alanus Hochschule
  3. Dr. Rasmus Dyring, Aarhus University
  4. Dr. Erik N. Dzwiza-Ohlsen, University of Cologne
  5. Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Fuchs, Heidelberg University
  6. Dr. Enise Incesoy, Vivantes KAU Berlin
  7. Prof. Dr. Gerd Kempermann, DZNE Dresden
  8. Prof. Dr. Sabine Koch, SRH University Heidelberg
  9. Prof. Dr. Pia Kontos, University of Toronto
  10. Dr. Joel Krueger, University of Exeter
  11. Dr. Danielle Petherbridge, University College Dublin
  12. PD. Dr. Fransisca S. Rodriguez, DZNE Greifswald
  13. Prof. Dr. Susanne Ravn, University of Southern Denmark
  14. Dr. Martin Riemer, TU Berlin
  15. Dr. Jessie Stanier, University of the West of England (Bristol)
  16. Dr. des. Lisa Stockleben, University of Cologne
  17. Prof. Dr. Christian Tewes, Alanus Hochschule
  18. Dr. Miranka Wirth, DZNE Dresden
  19. Ragna Winniewski, University of Cologne
  20. Runa Ya, University of Cologne

Citation

Dzwiza-Ohlsen, E. N. & Kempermann, G. (Jan 2027–Dec 2029). Movement in Dementia: Exploring the Embodied and Embedded Mind (MOVIDEM). Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Total funding: €83,170. Network Members: F. Carlassara, C. Cornaro, R. Dyring, T. Fuchs, E. Incesoy, S. Koch, P. Kontos, J. Kruger, D. Petherbridge, F. S. Rodriguez, S. Ravn, M. Riemer, J. Stanier, L. Stockleben, C. Tewes, M. Wirth, R. Winniewski, and R. Ya.

Kick-Off Workshop

The two-day workshop, “Movement in Dementia: Action, Expression, and Orientation”, hosted at the Husserl Archives of the University of Cologne and the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities Cologne aimed to finalize the DFG proposal for submission and was the kick-off for the network itself.