Professor Barry M. Willardson received a BA degree from BYU in chemistry and a PhD in biochemistry from Purdue University. He did postdoctoral work in biochemistry at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
He conducts research funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health on how cells assemble protein complexes that allow them to respond to hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters, and sensory stimuli. He enjoys working with students in the discovery process in the lab and in the classroom and teaches courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, and structural biology.
Professor Willardson is a former bishop and currently serves as the Young Men president in his ward. He was a missionary in the Belgium Brussels Mission and met his wife, Veronique, a native of Belgium, while they were teaching assistants in French at BYU. They are the parents of six children and eight grandchildren. He is a fan of BYU athletics and enjoys sports, fishing, and being with his family.
