Monica Justice, a recently appointed Senior Editor on Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), is Professor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). She leads several research teams that are merging mouse modeling with clinical genetics to elicit new information on disease mechanisms and to develop potential treatment strategies, with a focus on hematopoietic cancers and genetic syndromes. In this interview, Monica discusses what led her to focus on molecular, developmental and translational biology; her current work and future goals; and the reality of creating a balance between a demanding research role and life beyond the lab.