Dr. Alison M. Duncan
Associate Professor

Office: ANNU 347
Ext: 53416
Lab: ANNU 316
Ext: 58081

Profile

My longstanding interest in nutrition stems from a clinical perspective and has evolved to include a focus on the nutritional sciences. I started my studies in dietetics and continued on with graduate school in nutritional sciences, where I learned the value of research to the creation and advancement of nutrition knowledge. I very much enjoy numerous aspects of studying and researching nutrition, with one of the top aspects being its widespread application to human health.

Education

B.A.Sc. - University of Guelph
M.Sc. - University of Toronto
Ph.D. - University of Minnesota

Research

My general research interest relates to the biological effects of functional foods and nutraceuticals on chronic disease-related endpoints through human intervention studies. My specific interest involves the role of soy and its constituent protein and isoflavones in the reduction of disease risk, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer and kidney disease. Another research interest in relation to nutraceuticals involves the use of natural health products (prevalence, associated attitudes and beliefs) in healthy and clinical populations.

Selected Publications

Beaton LK, Dillingham BL, McVeigh BL, Lampe JW, Duncan AM. Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content do not adversely affect semen quality in healthy young men. Fertil. Steril. October 9, 2009 (E-pub, ahead of print).

Veenstra JM, Duncan AM, Cryne CN, Deschambault BR, Boye JI, Benali M, Marcotte M, Tosh SM, Farnworth ER, Wright AJ. Effect of pulse consumption on perceived flatulence and gastrointestinal function in healthy males. Food Res. Int. 2010; 43:553-9.

Gobert CP, Pipe EA, Capes SE, Darlington GA, Lampe JW, Duncan AM. Soy protein does not affect glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Br J Nutr. 2010; 103:412-21.

Pipe EA, Gobert CP, Capes SE, Darlington GA, Lampe JW, Duncan AM. Soy protein reduces serum LDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I in adults with type 2 diabetes. J. Nutr. 2009; 139: 1700-6.

Hanwell HEC, Kay CD, Lampe JW, Holub BJ, Duncan AM. Acute fish oil and soy isoflavone supplementation increase postprandial serum (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids and isoflavones but do not affect triacylglycerol or biomarkers of oxidative stress in overweight and obese hypertriglyceridemic men. J. of Nutr. 2009;139:1-7.

Gobert CP, Duncan AM. Consumption, perception and knowledge of soy among adults with type 2 diabetes. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2009; 28:203-18.

Pullman AW, Masters RC, Zalot LC, Carde LE, Saraiva MM, Dam Y, Randall Simpson JA, Duncan AM. Effect of the transition from high school to university on anthropometric and lifestyle variables in males. Applied Nutrition Physiology and Metabolism. 2009;34:1-10.

Shao S, Duncan AM, Yang R, Marcone MF, Rajcan I, Tsao R. Tracking isoflavones: from soybean to soy flour, soy protein isolates to functional soy bread. Journal of Functional Foods; 2009;1:119-27

Mofidi Najjar, A, Parsons PM, Duncan AM, Robinson LE, Yada RY and Graham TE. The acute impact of ingestion of different types of carbohydrate on blood glucose, insulin and incretins following first and second meals. Br. J. Nutr. 2009; 101:391-398.

Gobert CP, Duncan AM. Prevalence of Natural Health Product Use in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2008;32:260-272.

Edmonds M, Ferreira K, Nikiforuk E, Finnie AK, Leavey S, Duncan AM and Randall Simpson J. Body weight and percent body fat increase during the transition from high school to university in females. J. Amer. Dietetic Assoc. 2008, 108: 1033-1037.

Schenkel TC, Stockman NKA, Brown JN, Duncan AM. Evaluation of energy, nutrient and dietary fiber intakes of adolescent males. Journal of the American College of Nutrition; 2007; 26:264-271.

Dillingham BL, McVeigh BL, Lampe JW, Duncan AM. Soy protein isolates of varied isoflavone content do not influence serum thyroid hormones in healthy young men. Thyroid. 2007;17:131-137.

McVeigh BL, Dillingham, BL, Lampe JW and Duncan AM. Effect of soy protein with varied isoflavone content on serum lipids in healty young men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006; 83:244-251.

Daoust JL, Mercer LC and Duncan AM. Prevalence of natural health product use in healthy postmenopausal women. Menopause 2006; 13:1-10.

Dillingham BL, McVeigh BL, Lampe JW and Duncan AM. Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones in healthy young men. J. Nutr. 2005;135:584-591.

Spanner ED and Duncan AM. Prevalence of dietary supplement use in adults with chronic renal insufficiency. Journal of Renal Nutrition 2005; 15:204-210.

Teaching

NUTR*3330 Micronutrients, Phytochemicals & Health
HHNS*6400 Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals
HHNS*6010 Seminar in Human Biology & Nutritional Sciences
HHNS*6000 HHNS-SPARK (Co-coordinator)
HHNS*6320 Advances in Human Biology & Nutritional Sciences Research (Coordinator)
HHNS*6910 Basic Research Technqiues and Processes (Coordinator)
HHNS*6920 Applied Research Techniques and Processes (Coordinator)
HHNS*6930 Research Project (Coordinator)

Grad Students

M. Alexanian-Farr (MSc - Coursework Student)
A. E. Connelly (MSc - Thesis Student, co-advised)
K. Coventry (PhD Student)
E. Padhi (PhD Student, co-advised)
M. Seider (MSc - Coursework Student)
N. Sheikh (MSc - Coursework Student)
E. Stacey (MSc - Coursework Student)
M. Vella (MSc - Thesis Student)
L. Zarepoor (PhD Student, co-advised)

Dr. Alison M. Duncan Associate Professor