Barry Myers

Barry Myers, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. He serves as the Coulter Program Director and holds the Bass Chair in recognition of his accomplishments in research and teaching. Dr. Myers directs the Coulter Foundation Translational Partnership Program at Duke, providing over $1 million annually in early-stage funding for healthcare innovations, and serves as Director of Innovation in the Duke CTSI. His work spans academic research, technology commercialization, and industry consulting with organizations including the NFL-PA, NASCAR, and Pappas Ventures.

Dr. Myers' research focuses on head and neck impact injury biomechanics with the goal of injury prevention. His work has significant applications in automotive safety, sports equipment design (particularly football helmets), and pediatric head protection. He has examined biomechanical responses across various impact scenarios and populations, from professional athletes to children. His translational approach bridges fundamental biomechanical research with practical safety applications, overseeing more than $3 million annually in funding for life science projects.

Dr. Myers' publications demonstrate consistent research output spanning over three decades, with recent work focusing on football helmet performance, concussion mechanisms in the NFL, and pediatric head biomechanics. His research employs laboratory testing, computational modeling, and real-world data analysis to understand injury mechanisms and develop prevention strategies.

• Stapp Award (6 times winner - more than any other individual)
• Isbrandt Award for automotive safety from the Society of Automotive Engineers
• Bertil Aldman award for impact biomechanics research
• Founders Award, Southern Consortium for Injury Biomechanics (2008)
• Fellow, American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering (2008)
• Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2003)

Dr. Myers has secured substantial funding for translational research, including the Duke-Coulter Translational Partnership providing $1 million annually and a national fund for football safety research. He has advised four student teams to winning graduate student paper competitions at national meetings. His leadership extends to curriculum development, having revised the Pratt School of Engineering undergraduate curriculum in 2004, and administrative roles including Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, and Senior Associate Dean for Industrial Partnerships. He maintains active consulting relationships with major automotive manufacturers, racing organizations, and serves as an Executive-in-Residence at Pappas Ventures.