Dennis Barbour, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of biomedical engineering, neurobiology and otolaryngology. He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology and doctorate degrees in medicine and biomedical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. Before joining the faculty at Washington University, he pursued postdoctoral training in neurobiology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Dr. Barbour’s research focus is split along two main lines of inquiry. The first involves reverse-engineering normal function of the auditory system. He is particularly interested in how complex sounds are encoded in the brain when interfering noise is present and how language is processed in human brains. The second line of inquiry involves forward-engineering novel brain function by rewiring native cortical brain networks to implement new algorithms. Following brain injury such as a stroke, some function is lost and the brain network is disrupted. His lab is applying the principles of system theory and neuroplasticity toward the development of brain-computer interfaces that can rewire brains and thus potentially recover the lost function.