Andreas Wack is a seasoned researcher. He left his native Germany for London during his PhD but, before settling indefinitely, he tried the pharmaceutical industry for size, after which he went back to England. Despite this course change for a few years, his career kept leading Wack in the same direction: the influenza virus and its interplay with the immune system. In this interview, Andreas Wack enlightens us on how every Winter’s flu shot is decided upon; the difference one scientist makes in a research institute as opposed to in a pharmaceutical company; and why overachievers sometimes aren’t his first choice when he’s recruiting newcomers.