Dr. Karen Duff

Biography

Professor Duff is the Centre Director at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London. She received her PhD in Sydney Brenner's department at the University of Cambridge in 1991. Her postdoctoral work included positions with Alison Goate from 1991-1992 and John Hardy at the University of South Florida from 1992-1994. She advanced through various academic roles, becoming Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida, and later Associate Professor at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, before holding a professorship at New York University Nathan Kline Institute from 1998-2006. From 2006 to 2019, she worked at Columbia University, serving as Deputy Director of the Taub Institute. Her research focuses on the mechanisms and therapeutic approaches to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia (FTD). Current research interests include exploring mechanisms involved in tau pathology, understanding the communication of pathogenic tau proteins within the brain, and developing new models for studying the early stages of tau pathogenesis in relation to amyloid in Alzheimer's disease. Professor Duff has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles and has received numerous accolades, including the Potemkin Prize in 2006, the British Neuroscience Association award for Outstanding Contribution to Neuroscience in 2020, and Fellowship of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in 2022.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards