Leaders: Dr. Katarzyna Bieniek, PhD; Dr. Paulina Szumilas, PhD
Affiliation: Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce
Research Area
Early diagnostics of postural defects, balance disorders, and associated dysfunctions is a key component of preventive health and physioprophylaxis for children and adolescents. Contemporary functional assessment methods—including analysis of body composition, postural stability, and oculomotor factors—enable the development of precise models of psychomotor development.
The research team conducts interdisciplinary projects focusing on the relationships between body posture, balance, vision, and quality of life. Their studies involve both school-aged children and young athletes, with a strong emphasis on translating research findings into preventive, educational, and performance-optimizing strategies.
Leader Profiles and Achievements
Dr. Katarzyna Bieniek specializes in functional anatomy, human biological development, and postural diagnostics. She led a research project involving 500 children from the Świętokrzyskie region, which resulted in a doctoral dissertation on the relationship between posture and postural stability. Her scientific output includes numerous publications in anthropomotorics, kinesiology, and pediatric physiotherapy.
Dr. Paulina Szumilas focuses on the relationship between body posture and visual refractive errors in children. Her completed project revealed significant associations between the postural and visual systems, providing a basis for further development of integrated diagnostic approaches. Both researchers combine academic and scientific activity with the implementation of prevention tools in school and sports populations.
The team is currently conducting a research project assessing the relationship between posture, postural stability, body composition, and functional test outcomes in football players, with plans to expand into other sports disciplines.
Preferred Forms of Collaboration
The team led by Dr. Bieniek and Dr. Szumilas is open to collaborative research and application-focused projects in the areas of:
• development of objective diagnostic tools for children and adolescents,
• creation and statistical analysis of databases on posture and visual function,
• physiopreventive strategies in school and athletic settings,
• research on early identification of developmental risk and injury prevention,
• development of digital tools for screening psychomotor development.
Collegium Medicum UJK offers access to a large pediatric and youth population, the academic and scientific experience of the team, and readiness to engage in interdisciplinary and international research consortia. The team promotes a modern, practice-oriented scientific approach to improving quality of life and supporting the development of future generations.