Her father, Conrad Hal Waddington, was appointed Professor of Genetics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland while her mother, Margaret Justin Blanco White, was an architect who had a Civil Service post in Edinburgh. Dusa was educated at a girls school in Edinburgh and, although the standard was less good than at the boys school, nevertheless she had an exceptionally good mathematics teacher.
Ang kanyang ama, Conrad hal Waddington, ay hihirangin ng genetika Propesor sa Unibersidad ng Edinburgh sa Scotland habang ang kanyang ina, Margaret Justin Blanco White, ay isang arkitekto na nagkaroon ng Civil Service-post sa Edinburgh. Dusa ay edukado sa isang batang babae na paaralan at sa Edinburgh, bagaman ang standard ay mas mababa kaysa sa mabuting sa Boys paaralan, gayon pa man siya nagkaroon ng iba mabuting guro sa matematika.