A geneticist by training, Edith Heard's research interests centre on the epigenetic events underlying X chromosome inactivation during mammalian development. In January 2019, Edith takes over as the Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), with responsibility for six research sites across Europe. Before her move to EMBL, she was the Director of the Genetics and Developmental Biology Unit at the Institut Curie in Paris, and she continues to hold a chair in epigenetics and cellular memory at the Collège de France. We met with Edith to discuss her research interests, her future plans for EMBL and the extent to which she considers herself a role model for women in science.