Prof. John Duncan
About John
Professor John Duncan is a consultant neurologist specialising in epilepsy at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) and Professor of Neurology at University College London Institute of Neurology. His research is focused on neuroimaging applied to epilepsy and its treatment and he is an National Institute of Health and Care Research senior Investigator and has previously been medical director of The Epilepsy Society, clinical director of the Queen Square Division of UCLH, and president of the UK Chapter of The International League against Epilepsy.
Episode
When Epilepsy Medication Fails: Where Neuromodulation Fits - Prof. John Duncan
02 April 2026
In this episode we discuss:
Drug-resistant focal epilepsy - definitions and real-world prevalence
Why further medications rarely work after 2–3 appropriate treatments
Surgery pathways - who is suitable and who is not
Neuromodulation options - VNS, DBS, RNS, and EASEE
What outcomes actually look like - reduction vs seizure freedom
Risk, cognition, and quality of life in decision-making
How patients and clinicians weigh treatment choices together
Hear what could work! 👇
🎬 YouTube 🎧 Podcast 📄Transcript
Areas of focus
Clinical epilepsy
Application of structural and functional brain imaging
Medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy