Bio

Dr Dawn Duke is the Head of Researcher Development for the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF). She strategically leads professional development programmes aimed at early researchers across Africa, supporting their career development as emerging research leaders. Dawn received her Neuroscience PhD from Imperial College.  In 2008, she moved from researching and teaching neuroscience to concentrate on supporting the professional and career development of researchers.  She has a wide range of experience is designing, delivering and strategically leading professional development programmes. 

She has conducted training in over 30 different countries and supported researchers from over 60 different nationalities, including from 43 African countries.  She has been involved in a range of national and international working groups on support for early career researchers, including the Peer Review College for the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award and UK Council for Graduate Education Executive Committee.  She has published both in the field of neuroscience and in researcher development.  She is a co-editor and author for the SAGE ‘Success in Research’ Series, including titles ‘Delivering Inspiring Doctoral Assessment’, ‘Supervising to Inspire Doctoral Researchers’, ‘Fulfilling the Potential of You Doctoral Experience’ and ‘Publishing for Impact’. Dawn believes that the world would be a better place if the amazing research that is done within our universities and research institutions had an even greater impact on policy, society and the economy and is dedicated to enabling the next generation of researchers to take on this challenge.