At the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Professor Anne Speckens met with students and academic staff to share her extensive experience with integrating mindfulness into clinical care. Professor Speckens works at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, where she leads the Radboudumc Mindfulness Centre – one of the first institutions in Europe to systematically connect clinical practice, research, and mindfulness education directly within a hospital environment. The centre is attended by patients with a wide range of chronic illnesses who learn how to manage psychological stress and the impact of their conditions.
The first of her Brno lectures took place at St. Anne’s University Hospital, where Professor Speckens focused on the role of mindfulness in somatic conditions, including oncological diagnoses, multiple sclerosis, and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. One of the key messages of the lecture was that modern medicine is shifting from an exclusive focus on reducing psychological distress toward strengthening the positive aspects of living with chronic illness – such as meaning, spirituality, and psychological resilience.
Her next lecture, held at the Faculty of Medicine, was aimed at students. The discussion addressed mental health support during demanding medical studies and the use of mindfulness among individuals with ADHD and depression.
The visit concluded with a workshop for mindfulness teachers and academic staff. Participants explored barriers and opportunities related to implementing mindfulness within their professional fields. Professor Speckens presented specific implementation approaches from the Dutch healthcare system and outlined how they might be applied within the Czech academic and clinical context.
The strong attendance at all three events confirmed the growing importance of topics related to mental health, resilience, and modern approaches to supporting both patients and students.
Members of the Scientific Board of the Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine met for their final session of the year at the Simulation Centre. The key agenda items included the discussion of three habilitation procedures and a proposal to award an honorary doctorate to the dean of a prestigious American medical school.
Volunteers from IFMSA CZ Brno transformed the Brno shopping center Olympia into an improvised clinic over the weekend of November 15-16. On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, they offered passers-by a moment to pause, free examinations, and important education on preventing lifestyle diseases.
