New colleague - physiotherapist and manual therapist : Merel Gijsen
We are pleased to annuonce our new colleague Merel. She will start to work in our practice as from Monday 15 September.
Read more about Merel on the Team page

Merel Gijsens - kinesitherapeut/physiotherapist
merel@kinemadou.be-
Merel graduated with a master's degree in paediatric physiotherapy in 2024 and also obtained her master's degree in manual therapy from KU Leuven in 2025. She is a passionate, inquisitive and enthusiastic physiotherapist to whom both children and adults can turn with their complaints.
Merel herself played sports at a high level for many years. She started in apparatus gymnastics, but was forced to leave this sport after a cruciate ligament rupture. She then switched to cheerleading, where she was part of Team Belgium and won gold at the world championships in 2025.
Merel speaks Dutch, French and English.
Merel is subject to the conventionalised tarifs until end of 2025 and will, as from then, continue to work with non-conventionalised tariffs.
Ellen Goris - diëtiste/dietician
ellen@kinemadou.be+32 497 92 39 07
Ellen has also worked in a multidisciplinary obesity team at UZ Brussel since 2016. She graduated as a dietitian in 2015 from Erasmus University College, after a career as a biologist in the nature and environment sector.
Working together to find a healthy diet that suits you completely, that is what she is committed to as a dietician.
Are you striving for a healthy weight? Ellen motivates you to make appropriate changes. And to maintain those changes until the new way of eating is completely normal. Do you have to follow a particular diet for an illness? Then she makes a practical, varied eating plan, so that eating remains a pleasure.
Ellen speaks Dutch, French and English
She starts consultations as from 7 november 2024.
Michiel Hagen - kinesitherapeut/physiotherapist
Michiel@kinemadou.be+32 (0) 477 64 05 76
Michiel graduated from KU Leuven in 2019 with a master's degree in sports physiotherapy. At the same university, he obtained his PhD in rehabilitation science and physical therapy in 2024. During this PhD, Michiel studied scientifically the rehabilitation of overuse injuries in general and tendon complaints specifically.
Besides scientific research, Michiel also treated patients at the Sport Medical Advice Centre at UZ Leuven.
In his spare time, Michiel can be found on the athletics track.
Michiel speaks Dutch, French and English.
Michiel is deconventionalised.
Carolien Jans - kinesitherapeut/physiotherapist
carolien@kinemadou.be+32 478 74 14 93
Carolien is the initiator of the practice. She already has more than 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist. She used to have a practice in the Dwarsstraat in Sint-Joost-ten-Node. Wanting to offer a wider range of therapy (aftercare and prevention), she decided to move the practice and create the possibility to offer pilates and yoga classes in addition. With Kine Madou on the one hand and Studio Madou on the other, the bridge is made between medical recovery and physical well-being in daily life.
Carolien speaks Dutch, French and English
Carolien is deconventionalised.
Cindy Van Malder- kinesitherapeut/physiotherapist
cindy@kinemadou.be+32 476 99 48 99
Cindy graduated from VUB in 1994 with a master's degree in physical therapy. She then did a specialisation year in sports physiotherapy and manual therapy at the KUL . Her passion for anatomy kept her looking for answers, which she found in osteopathy.
After 15 years working as a self-employed physiotherapist, she decided to take care of her four children and went into education. There, she supervised children with motoristic problems.
Her children are gradually leaving home and now there is time again for her real passion. She resumed her studies in osteopathy and hopes to use the experiences she encountered on her life path to help people further in practice.
She speaks Dutch, French and English
Cindy is deconventionalised.