Robin Duncan

Research interests

I am interested in the relationship between nutrition and molecular determinants of health and disease. My expertise is in nutrigenomics, biochemistry and molecular biology, and my program focuses on the discovery and characterization of novel enzymes in lipid metabolism. My research covers a spectrum of areas from molecular cloning and recombinant protein biochemistry to comparative physiology, with an ultimate interest in understanding, preventing, and treating chronic diseases.

Graduate supervision and student opportunities

• Research volunteer
• Undergraduate thesis
• MSc thesis
• Coursework interns
• PhD thesis
• Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Research assistant/coordinator

Please email me to discuss current available opportunities.

Graduate studies application details

Teaching, expertise, tools and technologies

• Molecular cloning
• Lipid biochemistry
• Comparative biology and murine models
• Genetics and genomics
• Recombinant protein production
• Enzymology

Courses

KIN343: Micronutrient Metabolism

KIN446/646: Physiological and Biochemical Aspects of Nutrition and Health

KIN 470: Seminar in Kinesiology

KIN 605: Introduction to Genetics for the Biosciences

Education

BSc Biological Sciences (with Honours), University of Guelph 

PhD Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto 

PDF Nutritional Science & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley

​Selected publications

See Google Scholar for full list of publications.

Bradley RM, Stark KD, Duncan RE (2016). Influence of tissue, diet, and enzymatic remodelling on cardiolipin fatty acyl profile. Mol Nutr Food Res 60(8): 1804-1818.

Bradley RM, Marvyn PM, Aristizabal Henao JJ, Mardian EB, George S, Aucoin MG, Stark KD, Duncan RE (2015). Acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase 4 (AGPAT4) is a mitochondrial lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase that regulates brain phosphadtylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol levels. Biochim Biophys Acta 1851(12): 1566-1576.

Marks KA, Marvyn PM, Henao JJ, Bradley RM, Stark KD, Duncan (2015). Fasting enriches liver triacylglycerol with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: implications for understanding the adipose-liver axis in serum docosahexaenoic acid regulation. Genes Nutr 10(6): 39.

Marvyn PM, Bradley RM, Button EB, Mardian EB, Duncan RE (2015). Fasting upregulates adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase levels and phosphorylation in mouse kidney. Biochem Cell Biol 93(3): 262-267.

Button EB, Mitchell AS, Domingos MM, Chung JH, Bradley RM, Hashemi A, Marvyn PM, Patterson AC, Stark KD, Quadrilatero J, Duncan RE (2014). Microglial cell activation increases saturated and decreases monounsaturated fatty acid content, but both lipid species are proinflammatory. Lipids 49(4): 305-316.

Wang Y, Wong RH, Tang T, Hudak CS, Yang D, Duncan RE, Sul HS (2013). Phosphorylation and recruitment of BAF60c in chromatin remodelling for lipogenesis in response to insulin. Mol Cell 49(2): 283-297.

Ahmadian M, Abbott MJ, Tang T, Hudak CS, Kim Y, Bruss M, Hellerstein MK, Lee HY, Samuel VT, Shulman GI, Wang Y, Duncan RE, Kang C, Sul HS (2011). Desnutrin/ATGL is regulated by AMPK and is required for a brown adipose phenotype. Cell Met 13(6): 739-748.