Karl Storbeck is Professor of Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University where he leads the Laboratory for Steroid Biosynthesis and Metabolism. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from Stellenbosch University (2008) and has since established an internationally recognised research programme focused on steroid hormone biology. 

His research group investigates the biosynthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones and their roles in human health and disease. A central focus of his laboratory is the study of 11-oxygenated androgens, a previously overlooked class of adrenal-derived androgens. By identifying 11-oxygenated androgens as potent androgens in humans, his work has challenged the long-established paradigm that testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are the only relevant androgens in human physiology. His team studies how 11-oxygenated androgens are biosynthesised and how they contribute to disease states, including hormone-dependent cancers and metabolic conditions.

Karl is a strong advocate of team science and translational research. His programme integrates mechanistic steroid biochemistry with clinical investigation through close collaboration with endocrinologists, oncologists and systems biologists. A key strength of the laboratory is the high-precision quantification of steroid hormones in in vitro systems and clinical samples using state-of-the-art liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The laboratory actively engages in collaborative projects requiring advanced steroid hormone analysis in biological samples.