This is the first episode of our Special Interviews Series with Institute Directors, where we discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with being in charge of a research institute. The expertise required for this job is multi-varied: the director needs to develop ambitious research goals by relying on their teams' skills and scientific interests, leveraging the input of technical platforms at the service of science, coordinate the administrative support and constructively work with supervising bodies. This is no easy task: directors often have to learn on the job, as in their "former" life they were originally "only" scientists! For the first interview of series we approached Dr Florence Niedergang, Director of the Institut Cochin in Paris, France, who readily agreed to talk to us. Dr Niedergang described the strengths of the Institut Cochin, her ambitions for the Institute and how she efficiently organizes her time between her directorship role while still running a research lab.