• Please tell us who you are and your role in TRANSPAN?

I’m Eithne Costello, from the University of Liverpool. I’ve been a pancreatic cancer scientist for around 25 years. I lead Working Group 1 in TRANSPAN. I’m also a member of the TRANSPAN core group.

• What’s the coolest or most exciting thing about working on TRANSPAN?

Without a doubt, it’s the people. TRANSPAN provides the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse and passionate group of researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience of pancreatic cancer and innovators. The shared commitment to a common goal is incredibly motivating.

• How does your work package help power up the whole TRANSPAN mission?

Researchers in Working Group 1 use a combination of germline genetic variants associated with pancreatic cancer risk, epigenetics, transcriptomics and environmental factors to model disease risk. Such modelling has the potential to identify those people most at risk of developing pancreatic cancer and highlight them for screening.

• What’s been your proudest moment in the project so far?

If I have to pick one thing, I chose the training elements. TRANSPAN has given several researchers the chance to attend training schools and spend time in host labs, learning new techniques firsthand. These experiences not only build technical skills but also spark valuable networking opportunities — forging new friendships and collaborations across the field.

• What kind of real-world impact do you hope TRANSPAN will have?

I hope TRANSPAN helps shift the narrative around pancreatic cancer — from late-stage diagnosis to proactive, early intervention. If we can contribute to earlier detection and better survival rates, that would be a game-changer. Training the next generation and enthusing them to work on this challenging disease is essential.

• What gets you out of bed in the morning to work on this topic? Coffee doesn’t count.

Pancreatic cancer is devastating.  While outcomes have improved over the past decade—particularly for patients with localized disease, eligible for surgery—treatment options become extremely limited once the cancer has spread. Our research focuses on early detection, which is central to improving outcomes in pancreatic cancer. We’re exploring how new-onset diabetes could serve as an early signal, giving us a chance to intervene sooner. Early detection could be the turning point in survival. If we can identify the disease earlier, we can change the entire trajectory of treatment and survival. Knowing that our work could help catch pancreatic cancer earlier keeps me motivated.

• If TRANSPAN had a slogan, what would yours be?

For me personally, it would be, ‘Detect Early. Act Fast. Save Lives.’