Since joining Young Lives at the start of Round 2 in 2006, Duc has been extensively involved in data collection for the study. Within Young Lives, his research focuses on child nutrition, schooling and skills formation. Duc first gained a Lower Doctorate degree in Mathematics in the former Soviet Union, and then went on to get a PhD in Economics in the US. He is a senior researcher and leads a section at CAF-VASS, and is the Principal Investigator for Young Lives Vietnam.

His research interests are applied econometrics, early childhood development (ECD), and education.