Dr. Duncan graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1968 with a BA degree and received his medical degree from Duke University in 1972. He did his surgical internship from 1971-1972 at Duke and his neurosurgery residency, also at Duke, from 1972-1977. He joined the Yale faculty and the Yale-New Haven Hospital staff in 1977. He received his board certification in Neurosurgical Surgery in 1979. In 1978, he became Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Yale and has progressed through the academic ranks at the university to become Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics in 1994. He spent 1985-1986 in Special Studies at the School of Organization and Management Group. He has established the only dedicated pediatric neurosurgical unit in the state, published over 100 articles, and has been the principal investigator or co-investigator in twenty funded research projects. He was the co-principal investigator for the Indomethacin Projects to prevent intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants, which has been adopted in over 75 countries. He has served on the Credentials Committee, Operating Room Work Redesign Committee, By-Laws Review, Risk Management and other hospital committees. He is the program director for the Neurosurgery Residency Program. After running one marathon, Dr. Duncan decided he preferred fly-fishing.