Joseph A. Duncan

Joseph A. Duncan, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on host inflammatory signaling in infectious disease pathogenesis, particularly studying NOD-Like Receptors (NLR proteins) and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Dr. Duncan's laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory signaling in response to microbial pathogens and sterile danger signals, with emphasis on NLRP3-induced caspase-1 activation and IL-1β maturation. A second major research focus examines the pathogenesis of N. gonorrhoeae infection, specifically how this pathogen evades protective immune responses and maintains capacity for reinfection. His lab employs diverse methodologies including biochemical protein analysis, microbiological experiments with bacterial genetics, cell biological studies with immune cells, murine infection models, and human specimen analysis.

His recent publication record demonstrates active research in gonococcal vaccines, syphilis diagnostics, and inflammasome biology, with publications spanning from 2023-2025. His work shows a clear trajectory from fundamental inflammasome mechanisms toward translational applications in infectious disease diagnostics and prevention.

Dr. Duncan has received numerous prestigious awards including the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists (2008), multiple NIH developmental awards, and early career recognition from UT Southwestern and UNC.

His laboratory maintains active collaborations with researchers at UNC and beyond, focusing on bridging basic inflammatory mechanisms with clinical infectious disease applications. Current work includes developing novel diagnostic approaches for sexually transmitted infections and investigating host-pathogen interactions in bacterial pathogenesis.