In 2006, Kevin was a fresh graduate from the University of Antwerp. Having just completed a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences, he was excited to start looking for his first job and was open to any opportunity that came his way. “I remember using this website called FlandersBio [ed. note: now BioVia] – it had all sorts of opportunities in science, and a lot of places interested me,” recalls Kevin. “I applied to many different job openings, and it just so happened that the first place to make me an offer was VIB!” 

In November of that year, Kevin joined CCB (then called the Vesalius Research Center) as a junior lab technician in the Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, led by Peter Carmeliet. Twenty years later, Kevin is still with us. Since 2016, he has been the lab manager of the Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Therapeutic Resistance led by Gabriele Bergers, which he has been part of since its very start. 

“After 10 years of working with Peter Carmeliet, the opportunity came up to join Gabriele Bergers and help start her lab. I had gained a lot of experience working with Peter and felt ready for that next step,” shares Kevin. “It has been a great challenge. In the beginning, we had to decide how we wanted to design the lab, what systems we wanted to put in place, and I also had to learn new techniques. About 70% of my work was done in the lab and 30% was administrative work – now it's the other way around. Our lab's organization has changed over the years, and so have my tasks and responsibilities.” 

For the team in the Bergers lab, Kevin has become the go-to person for just about everything. Does something need fixing? Does a document need to be drawn up? Kevin is there to help. “I think one of the most challenging aspects of the job is also the most fun part – when people come to me with problems. Some are certainly easier to fix than others, but even figuring something out for the first time is fun. It also means that no two days are the same, and it makes my work much more interesting. That's really important to me.” 

Although Kevin's responsibilities have changed considerably over the years, some things have remained constant. Flexibility, organization, and communication are still at the heart of his work, whether he's coordinating the lab behind the scenes or helping his team solve unexpected problems. And his fondness for the job has also remained with him all along. "I live in the north of Antwerp, so it's quite a commute – almost four hours a day. But I'm still at CCB after all these years, that’s how much I like working here.”

Kevin, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication over all these years. We are very lucky to have you with us at CCB!