The Kübler Lab is an interdisciplinary research group working at the interface of biology, computational biology, and medical oncology. The lab specializes in studying the molecular mechanisms and genomic changes that initiate and drive cancer development, using novel experimental and computational technologies. A better understanding of the key processes underlying cancer onset and progression will ultimately enable us to intervene at an early stage and prevent cancer, an approach instrumental in improving patient outcome.
Cancer is the result of clonal evolution, where genomic changes in normal cells can lead to the formation of early precancerous lesions. Additional accumulation of molecular alterations can then result in the development of invasive cancer. However, if detected and treated early, precancerous lesions can be cured before they progress to cancer.
The Kübler Lab is dedicated to investigating these genomic alterations and their impact on cancer development. We develop and apply innovative experimental multi-omics techniques to extract multiple types of molecular information from archived samples. These novel methods have the potential to unlock archives as a valuable resource for translational research, particularly in the study of uncommon cancers and early tumorigenesis.
The Kübler Lab also develops novel computational methods that predict the cell-of-origin of cancer and identifies the susceptibilities of individual cell types for cancer transformation. By combining our cutting-edge computational and experimental techniques, we can obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular changes that are involved in the initiation, progression, and transformation of pre-malignant lesions to invasive cancer.
Our long-term vision is to improve precision medicine and to translate our findings to the clinic by innovating strategies for the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer and its precursors.
Kirsten Kübler, Gad Getz & Rinath Jeselsohn. Nat Genet 57, 2084–2085 (2025). doi: 10.1038/s41588-025-02316-w
Kirsten Kübler, Agostina Nardone, Shankara Anand, Daniel Gurevich, Jianjiong Gao, Marjolein Droog, Francisco Hermida-Prado, Tara Akhshi, Ariel Feiglin, Avery S. Feit, Gabriella Cohen Feit, Gwen Dackus, Matthew Pun, Yanan Kuang, Justin Cha, Mendy Miller, Sebastian Gregoricchio, Mirthe Lanfermeijer, Sten Cornelissen, William J. Gibson, Cloud P. Paweletz, Eliezer M. Van Allen, Flora E. van Leeuwen, Petra M. Nederlof, Quang-Dé Nguyen, Marian J. E. Mourits, Milan Radovich, Ignaty Leshchiner, Chip Stewart, Ursula A. Matulonis, Wilbert Zwart, Yosef E. Maruvka, Gad Getz & Rinath Jeselsohn. Nat Genet 57, 2192–2202 (2025). doi: 10.1038/s41588-025-02308-w
Machado HE, Mitchell E*, Øbro NF*, Kübler K*, Davies M, Leongamornlert D, Cull A, Maura F, Sanders MA, Cagan ATJ, McDonald C, Belmonte M, Shepherd MS, Vieira Braga FA, Osborne RJ, Mahbubani K, Martincorena I, Laurenti E, Green AR, Getz G, Polak P, Saeb-Parsy K, Hodson DJ, Kent DG, Campbell PJ. Nature 608, 724–732 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05072-7 (*, contributed equally)
Yizhak K, Aguet F, Kim J, Hess JM, Kübler K, Grimsby J, Frazer R, Zhang H, Haradhvala NJ, Rosebrock D, Livitz D, Li X, Arich-Landkof E, Shoresh N, Stewart C, Segrè AV, Branton PA, Polak P, Ardlie KG, Getz G. Science 364, eaaw0726 (2019). doi: 10.1126/science.aaw0726
Kübler K *, Karlić R* Haradhvala NJ, Ha K, Kim J, Kuzman M, Jiao W, Gakkhar S, Mouw KW, Braunstein LZ, Elemento O, Biankin AO, Rooman I, Miller M, Karthaus WR, Nogiec CD, Juvenson E, Curry E, Mino-Kenudson M, Ellisen LW, Brown R, Gusev A, Tomasetti C, Lolkema MP, Steeghs N, van Herpen C, Kim H-G, Lee H, VlahovicÃåek K, Bernstein BE, Sawyers CL, Hoadley KA, Cuppen E, Koren A, Arndt PF, Louis DN, Stein LD, Foulkes WD, Polak P, Getz G on behalf of the PCAWG Pathology and Clinical Correlates Working Group, and the ICGC/TCGA. bioRxiv (2019). doi: 10.1101/517565 (*, contributed equally)
Gopal RK*, Kübler K*, Calvo SE, Polak P, Livitz D, Rosebrock D, Sadow PM, Campbell B, Donovan SE, Amin S, Gigliotti BJ, Grabarek Z, Hess JM, Stewart C, Braunstein LZ, Arndt PF, Mordecai S, Shih AR, Chaves F, Zhan T, Lubitz CC, Kim J, Iafrate AJ, Wirth L, Parangi S, Leshchiner I, Daniels GH, Mootha VK, Dias-Santagata D, Getz G, McFadden DG. Cancer Cell 34, 242-255.e5 (2018). doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2018.06.013
Polak P, Kim J, Braunstein LZ, Karlic R, Haradhavala NJ, Tiao G, Rosebrock D, Livitz D, Kübler K, Mouw KW, Kamburov A, Maruvka YE, Leshchiner I, Lander ES, Golub TR, Zick A, Orthwein A, Lawrence MS, Batra RN, Caldas C, Haber DA, Laird PW, Shen H, Ellisen LW, D’Andrea AD, Chanock SJ, Foulkes WD, Getz. Nat Genet 49, 1476-1486 (2017). doi: 10.1038/ng.3934
In ihrer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit widmet sich Kirsten Kübler daher der Aufgabe, auch für andere Krebsarten Möglichkeiten der Früherkennung und Prävention zu finden.
I am grateful and honored to have been named one of Germany’s 100 #WomenOfTheYear by @FOCUS_Magazin for my contributions to #Cancer #Research and #PersonalizedMedicine.
„Wir fördern Talente und keine Klischees. In der Wissenschaft brauchen wir viele Perspektiven und die Kreativität aller. Komm zu uns und lass deinen Traum mit uns zusammen wahrwerden.“
Prof. Dr. Kirsten Kübler, Johanna-Quandt-Professorin für „Early Cancer Development and Prevention“
Auf die Erdbeeren, fertig, los: Am #Girlsday konnten Schülerinnen gemeinsam mit Staatssekretärin Judith Pirscher die DNA aus Erdbeeren extrahieren.
Prof. Kroemer und Prof. Kreis im Austausch mit der Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Hämatologie, Onkologie und Tumorimmunologie — Besuch unseres Labortrakts
Congratulations to our research assistant Ali, who was among a handful of female students selected across all disciplines at her alma mater, the University College Cork, to receive the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Scholarship Award for the Academic Year 2023/24!
To get trained in the bioinformatic analysis of genomic data from the best in the field, our research fellow Leonie spent the last 6 months of 2023 at Harvard Medical School as well as the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and had her endeavors founded by a Charité Ingeborg Rapoport Fellowship and a Short-Term Fellowship by the Deutsche Krebshilfe.
Our PhD student Claudia was admitted to the Berlin School of Integrative Oncology, the joint graduate school of the Charité, Humboldt University, Free University and non-university research institutions, where talented students investigate the most demanding problems in clinical oncology in an inter-transdisciplinary, international and cooperative environment.
Our postdoctoral research fellow Leonie was accepted into the DKTK School of Oncology, funded by the DKFZ to improve the expertise of young clinicians and junior researchers in the field of translational oncology. Leonie will participate in the program alongside her residency training, with a clinical and scientific focus on translational oncology.
Congratulations to Ali who received an ERASMUS+ Traineeship Bursary for Recent Graduates to work on her breast cancer project. She was also awarded the DAAD Study Scholarship for Masters Students of all Academic Disciplines, as one of a handful of students in the Ireland & UK region, to stay with us and start her Masters programme at a German university of her choice next semester!
Bitte Teilnehmen & Teilen: Was ist für Brustkrebspatientinnen bei der Einnahme von Tamoxifen wichtig? Mit dieser in Zusammenarbeit mit dem DKFZ veröffentlichten Umfrage möchten wir individuelle Unterschiede in Nebenwirkungsprofilen verstehen, um die Behandlung mit Tamoxifen in Zukunft noch sicherer zu machen.
Im Juni stattete Laura Kraft, MdB und Obfrau im Ausschuss für Bildung, Forschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, dem BIH einen Besuch ab, zum Austausch über das wichtige Thema Frauengesundheit und die Sichtbarkeit und Förderung von Frauen in der Wissenschaft.
Fun and top times at the Charité Team Relay 2024: In summery temperatures and cheered on by a large, high-spirited crowd, Team Kübler achieved an excellent 16th place overall and the 10th place among mixed teams at the annual major sporting event.
The Team Kübler rang in the summery season by paying a visit to the nostalgic 18-holes minigolf course in the city park Steglitz! Some balls hit, some missed, and some went missing, but ice cream made up for lost points and some may have developed a taste for winning – to the next match!
Jumping right into her Masters research topic, our student Ali has just published her first review paper – have a look at it here and gain some up-to-date insights into the role of single-cell RNA sequencing in the transcriptome analysis of ductal carcinoma in situ!
The Kübler Lab wishes everyone a joyful holiday season and a happy new year filled with discoveries and success.
NIPPON Genetics EUROPE set out to find the expert in all things biotech innovation last December, and our lab tech Martina went in for a straight win! Congrats to the quiz champion! 🏅
In January, the BIH community laid out the institute’s goals and vision for 2025 during our Annual Kick-off. To promote synergies between locations and across departments, our PI Kirsten Kübler took part in a panel discussion of current BIH group leaders about the challenges and opportunities of medical translation.
A diversity of perspectives and knowledge benefits high-quality medical research. The BIH invited Dr. Katherine Dean from the University of East Anglia to visit our labs during this year’s Diversity Month – she left impressed by how inclusive and accessible our research environment already is.
Our Postdoc Francesca Tiso was selected to be a Fellow of the DKTK School of Oncology, a nationwide network of talented scientists that fosters communication and interaction between basic research and clinical application. Congratulazioni! 
Wonderful news – our student Ali won the prestigious President’s Prize by the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine Ireland 2025 for her Bachelor’s research project – making her the top graduate of Biomedical Science across all Irish Universities of 2025! 🔬
Our lab members Claudia and Ali participated in this year’s 4th edition of ISCO back in Berlin to showcase their own work and network with other passionate single-cell researchers.
Our postdoc Leonie traveled all the way to the AACR Annual Meeting in Chicago the be at the place where scientists, clinicians, and patients meet to share and discuss the latest breakthroughs in cancer science and medicine.
To contribute to the progress against cancer, our PI Kirsten Kübler shared her latest work on the cellular origins of cancer during a session on multi-omic integration at AACR 2025, together with session Chairs David Huntsman und Carlos Caldas.
In the context of the Charité-Mayo Clinic Conference, our PI Kirsten Kübler represented the BIH at the UNFPA’s WomenX Collective, an innovative programme that seeks to close health gaps by driving women-centric solutions worldwide.
To balance hard science with soft fluff and the city jungle with nature adventures, the Kübler Lab headed for the Berlin hinterland for our annual works outing to explore the fascinating world of llamas and alpacas.
At the Science Slam of Berlin’s Long Night of the Sciences 2025 (LINK), our MD students Amelie and Leonie presented their research on the development of ovarian cancer and encouraged the audience to think and talk more about female anatomy, to enable timely detection and intervention.
Stylish in orange, the Kübler Lab joined the Charité Staffellauf again this year, to put their teamworking and cooperation skills into action outside their natural research habitat. They made it through the Tiergarten in a very respectable time, finishing 35th in the mixed category and 43rd overall.
Congratulations to our postdoc Francesca, who is embarking on the next stage of her career with funding from the prestigious and competitive DFG Walter Benjamin Programme that supports particularly qualified postdoctoral researchers in carving out their independent research profile.
Amelie and Leo are connected by more than their research topic – they work together, support each other, and can always rely on one another. The Charité therefore nominated them “Work Besties”! Get inspired by their and other profiles in the Charité Adventskalender and win attractive prices!
The Kübler Lab is grateful for an inspiring year filled with great science, strong collaborations, and a supportive community and wishes everyone a joyful holiday season and a wonderful start to the New Year!
Our PI Kirsten Kübler was recognized by the Claudia von Schilling Foundation for her work on tamoxifen in the development of sporadic uterine cancers, and for providing “concrete impetus for improving treatment safety” and combining “fundamental findings with a clear perspective for patients.”
Prof. Kirsten Kübler is a clinician scientist, and her expertise in clinical oncology is complemented by her experience in tumor genomics using both experimental and bioinformatics methods. Before joining the BIH @Charité as the BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Early Cancer Development and Prevention, she conducted research at the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, where she still holds affiliations.
I aim to identify the cell-of-origin of metastases with unknown primaries and to investigate whether they represent a distinct tumor entity, opening pathways for more effective treatment options.
My mission is to set up a well-organized, safe and clean laboratory and to support the group in establishing and validating molecular multi-omics techniques.
Diligent, Well-organized, Empathetic
My research focuses on the discovery of the cell-of-origin of uncommon gynecological and breast cancers, exploiting cutting-edge techniques and establishing novel assays.
Curious, Determined, Positive
I am the go-to person for all administrative needs at the Kübler Lab. Being a non-scientist, it fills me with excitement to contribute to the research in this capacity.
Curious, Open-minded, Friendly
I am analyzing scRNA-seq data from normal breast tissue, DCIS and breast cancer to facilitate insights into the molecular landscape and cellular heterogeneity.
Determined, Adventurous, Friendly
I am helping the KüblerLab to develop and evaluate a new method that allows for a comprehensive genetic and epigenetic analysis of scarce precancerous cell populations.
Curious, Ambitious, Imaginative
In my research, I focus on discovering the cell-of-origin of uncommon breast cancers to gain a better understanding of their genesis and development, with the broader goal of improving diagnosis and prevention.
Open, Positive, Driven
I am applying deconvolution techniques to mutational profiles to identify cell types in the tumor microenvironment, with a focus on their differentiation from a healthy to a pre-cancerous and finally cancerous state.
Adventurous, Optimistic, Thoughtful
My research aims to identify the cell type susceptible to genomic alterations and to analyze clonal expansion in normal and precancerous tissues of ovarian cancer patients.
Passionate, Persevering, Optimistic
My project focuses on uncommon ovarian tumors to better understand tumor progression and pathogenesis and to improve diagnosis and prognosis for affected patients.
Warm, Conscientious, Reflected
The aim of my research is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying tamoxifen-associated uterine cancer development, with the goal of developing a screening method.
Open, Thorough, Joyful
My aim is to optimize and establish new experimental techniques to identify the molecular changes that initiate cancer development.
Ambitious, Reliable, Helpful
My research focuses on primary fallopian tube cells to investigate clonal expansion, aiming to enhance our understanding of high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Ambitious, Engaging, Versatile
As a scientist-turned-scientific editor, I support the group in publishing and communicating their work on cancer development to different audiences.
Curious, Creative, Ambitious
In my research, I aim to create the first spatially resolved transcriptomic atlas of fallopian tube architecture in at-risk patients to identify the earliest drivers of ovarian cancer progression.
Ambitious, Curious, Determined
Join our Cancer Research Team. We are constantly seeking passionate individuals who share our dedication to cancer research. If you are eager to make a difference and contribute to groundbreaking advancements in the field, we want to hear from you. To express your interest, reach out to kirsten.kuebler[at]bih-charite.de (and please include your CV, transcript of records, and motivation letter).
The Kübler Lab
Prof. Dr. Kirsten Kübler
Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH)
Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine
Luisenstraße 65 | 10117 Berlin | Germany
Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF)
Hindenburgdamm 30 | 12203 Berlin | Germany
kirsten.kuebler[at]bih-charite.de
