Dr Susan Duncan

Senior Scientist

Susan completed her PhD in Professor Dame Caroline Dean’s group, working with Dr Stefanie Rosa to develop the first method for imaging and quantitatively analysing single RNA molecules in plant cells using single-molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH).

After her PhD, she joined Dr Veronica Grieneisen’s lab, where she used RNA and whole-plant organ imaging to test predictions from mathematical models. She then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Anthony Hall’s lab at the Earlham Institute, optimising RNA imaging approaches in wheat, before visiting Professor Philip Benfey’s lab at Duke University to investigate RNA subcellular localisation during root development.

Since returning to the John Innes Centre in 2020 to join Professor Ding’s group, Susan has continued to develop and apply novel microscopy-based approaches to investigate how RNA structure influences gene transcription, translation, and transcript degradation. She also contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, delivering lectures on epigenetics and flowering to BSc and MSc students.

Selected Publications

See all of Dr Susan Duncan's publications