[1] She was an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University, where she studied health education.
[3] After earning her doctorate Duran joined the University of New Mexico, where she led the Centre for Native American Health.
Her research considers issues that impact the health of Native Americans and other minority communities in the United States.
[4] She has studied the prevalence of mental disorders and the treatment of indigenous women who use Indian Health Service primary career facilities.
[4] In 2018 Duran was selected by the University of California, Berkeley as part of their most influential alumni.