Professor of Cell Biology
Dean of The Graduate School
Vice Provost of Graduate Education
Dr. Suzanne Barbour is the Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education at Duke University. Since joining Duke in September 2022, Dr. Barbour has been instrumental in shaping policies and procedures that enhance the graduate programs at Duke.
Prior to Duke, Barbour served as the dean of The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2019-2022) and the University of Georgia (2015-2019). She has served as program director in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the National Science Foundation and as a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. At VCU, she led the graduate program in biochemistry and molecular biology, directed research training at the Center on Health Disparities and held affiliate appointments in the departments of African American studies, biology, and microbiology and immunology.
Barbour is committed to trainee success at the highest levels, including serving as an individual and group coach for postdoctoral scholars in the NIH Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program and on advisory boards for the Council of Graduate Schools and Graduate Education Advisory Council of the Educational Testing Service. Throughout her career, she has mentored dozens of students and received numerous awards for professional achievement and teaching excellence.
Dr. Barbour's academic journey began with a baccalaureate degree in chemistry from Rutgers University, followed by a doctorate in molecular biology and genetics from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Diego, focusing her research on phospholipases A2 and lipid signaling in metabolic diseases.