Rate My Professor David Barker

David Barker is a Professor in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland, based in the School of Chemical Sciences within the Faculty of Science. He earned his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2001 and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Sydney. Barker’s research centres on the synthesis of organic molecules to address chemical and biological questions, encompassing medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials chemistry. His work has garnered over 4,000 citations on Google Scholar. He advanced through academic ranks at the University of Auckland, serving as Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor from 2016 to 2020, and subsequently as Professor. He also holds the role of Deputy Head of School (Research). In 2024, Barker received the Maurice Wilkins Centre Prize for Chemical Science awarded by the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. Among his publications is the 2019 article titled Lignans appearing in the journal Molecules. Barker maintains an active profile in teaching and supervision at the institution.