Ross Cagan, new Editor-in-Chief of Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), is a developmental and translational biology researcher with expertise in using fruit fly models. Based at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he holds professorships in Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Oncological Sciences and Ophthalmology. He is also Associate Dean of the Graduate School for Biological Sciences and co-founder of Medros, Inc. In this interview, he recalls the events and mentors that helped shape his career, explains why he loves flies, and outlines his vision for DMM.