Meet Olaf Klingbeil

From Germany to New York and now Belgium, cancer researcher Olaf Klingbeil has joined VIB to start his own lab in Functional Genomics and Transcriptional Regulation.

Driven by the urgent need to improve cancer therapies, one of Olaf’s first projects explores how pancreatic cancer cells adapt and evade treatment. In the future, the goal is to expand his work into the tumor ecosystem and explore how cancer systemically affects the body.

We sat down with VIB's newest Group Leader to learn more about his journey, what excites him in this field, and what advice he has for young researchers starting their career. 

Welcome to VIB, Olaf! You recently made the move from Long Island, New York, to Belgium. What motivated you to join VIB and start your lab at the Center for Cancer Biology?

I’m originally from Germany and studied Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Lübeck, where I completed both my bachelor's and master's degrees. For my PhD, I moved to Berlin and conducted my doctoral research in oncology and earned my degree from Humboldt University of Berlin. After that, I continued my research in the U.S. with a postdoctoral position at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

During my postdoc, I started thinking seriously about returning to Europe to set up my own lab. VIB caught my attention early on – not as one of the older, traditional institutions, but as a young, vibrant research community with a strong track record in science. That made it stand out. Chris Marine reached out during my search, and after a few conversations, we set up an interview. I had a great impression. The institute is modern and well-organized, but what really struck me was the open and collaborative culture. There’s a sense of independence here, and the relatively flat structure makes it easy to connect, share ideas, and build something new.

At the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology (CCB), we work in a focused and collaborative environment that really supports scientific creativity. Being part of a smaller, specialized center allows for agility and close-knit collaboration, which I find incredibly valuable. At the same time, our location within the KU Leuven campus gives us access to additional infrastructures and opportunities for interaction with clinical researchers. It’s a practical and productive setup, and it supports both the independence of a VIB research group and the benefits of being connected to a broader academic ecosystem.

What are the main research topics your lab will focus on, and what excites you about them?

Our lab will initially focus on pancreatic cancer, with a particular interest in tumor heterogeneity and therapy resistance. One of our first funded projects will explore how pancreatic cancer cells adapt and evade treatment – a challenge that’s especially pronounced in this disease. We’ll start by dissecting cellular heterogeneity within tumors, which will serve as a foundation for tackling broader questions around treatment failure. I’m also excited to expand our work into the tumor ecosystem and explore how cancer affects the body systemically.

What sparked your interest in cancer research, and why did you choose this field?

What continues to drive me is the urgent need to improve cancer therapies. As a community, we have made real progress over the years, but there's still a long way to go, both in understanding the disease and in translating that knowledge into better treatment strategies.

What also draws me to cancer research is how it brings together so many different areas of biology. At its core, cancer is cell biology gone rogue, but to truly understand it, you need to integrate insights from biochemistry, genetics, immunology, and beyond.

Nowadays, the field is shifting from focusing solely on individual cells to taking a broader view. We’re now looking at tumors as ecosystems, exploring how cells communicate with each other and with their environment – not just at the tissue level, but across the whole body. That perspective opens up so many exciting questions.

If you could go back and tell your 2008 self where you are today, how do you think they would react?

He’d probably be surprised to see that I became a professor – and even more surprised that I didn’t end up in industry, which seemed like the obvious path at the time. Ending up in Belgium might also have come as an unexpected twist! But I think he’d be proud and happy with where things have gone. I certainly am.

What advice would you give to early-career scientists?

One of the great advantages of being early in your career is that you're not yet boxed in by established thinking. You might not have all the technical knowledge yet, but that also means you're more likely to ask unexpected questions or challenge assumptions others take for granted. That kind of fresh perspective is incredibly valuable, and one of the reasons we really enjoy having curious, motivated students in the lab.

If I had one piece of advice, it would be to take the time to really understand the research being done in the labs you’re considering. As a student, it’s easy to be excited about many different topics (and that enthusiasm is great!) but if you already have a sense of the direction you want to take, it helps to find a place where you can really grow in that area. Your training years go by quickly, and the value of focused learning becomes more obvious in hindsight.

That said, one of the truly wonderful things about science is how flexible it can be. Even if you spend your PhD immersed in a particular field – say, neuroscience – you can still shift to something completely different later on. You’ll bring fresh ideas with you, and that cross-pollination of ideas is often where the most interesting discoveries happen.

Outside of science, what are you most looking forward to about living in Belgium and settling into life here?

One thing I’m really enjoying is being in a place where I can use my bike again. I’m looking forward to exploring the city, both on foot and on two wheels, and getting to know Belgium better. It’s a beautiful country with a rich history and so much to discover.

I’m also happy to be back in Europe. Being closer to home is a big plus, and I’m excited to travel more and experience different cultures – one of the perks of being in such a central location. On a more personal note, I’m especially looking forward to getting back into field hockey. It’s a sport I’ve always loved, but during my PhD I didn’t play much, and during my postdoc in the U.S., I couldn’t play at all. So I’m really excited to finally pick up my hockey stick again!

Welcome to VIB, Olaf!

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