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 Since receiving her PhD in developmental neuroscience from the University of Melbourne (2002) Dr. Duncan has recognition as one of the leading researchers in this field with a particular focus of assessing neuropathological changes after a compromise. This reputation arises from her work in the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School/ Children’s Hospital Boston, the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne and the Addiction Neuroscience laboratory at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. These studies have lead to significant contributions in the area of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and the effects of maternal cigarette smoking and/or alcohol consumption and intra-uterine infection on the developing brain.

Dr. Duncan is currently working on establishing a rodent model investigating the effects of inhalant abuse on the adolescent brain investigating the long-term behavioral, pathological and epigenetic changes that occur. She has a substantial and growing track record in developmental neuroscience with an outstanding publication and impressive citation record, indicating the high impact of her work, which includes 31 publications to date, 20 as first author (current H-index of 11 with over 465 citations). Her work has also attracted significant amounts of research funding (over $1.5 million to date) and she has strong international linkages with collaborators in the US and Asia.

Dr. Duncan has had experience supervising students in the American Indian summer studentship program and co-supervising 3rd year undergraduate, Honours and PhD students (all successfully completed). In addition, she has worked as a clinical neuroscience, neuroscience and histopathology demonstrator for 2nd and 3rd year medical, dentistry and osteopathy students and as a neuroscience tutor for the Centre for Indigenous Education.