Heather Duncan, MPH, PhD, Guest Contributor

SUNY Albany
Albany, NY

Heather Duncan is an epidemiologist and science communications specialist based in the capital region of upstate New York. She began her somewhat unorthodox career as an English professor and has over a decade of experience teaching writing, research skills, and media studies to undergraduate and graduate students. Her scholarship in the field of science and technology studies has been published in academic journals and presented at numerous national and international conferences.

In 2024, she completed her MPH at SUNY Albany and subsequently enrolled in the epidemiology PhD program, where she is now working on a project to develop AI agents for county health departments. She is also co-founder of a consulting business, M&D Science Consulting and Communications, which specializes in producing high quality medical and scientific writing, data analysis, and educational materials for health care providers and public health professionals. Though she considers herself a scientist first and foremost, Heather’s approach to science and communications is firmly grounded in her humanities training. She is passionate about improving science literacy and bridging the communications gap between scientists and the general public.