Originally trained as a physician and biophysicist, he is Associate Professor of Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Visiting Professor of Humanities at Williams College, and Adjunct Professor of Humanism in Medicine at the NYU Medical School. He was the first Artist-in-Residence at the New York University Medical School on September 11, 2001, an experience that led to his collection Being There: Medical Student Morgue Volunteers Following 9/11. His most recent book Gray Land: Soldiers on War, is collection of portraits of, and interviews with soldiers in Iraq and at home. He regularly teaches photographic history and technique to physicians, medical students and undergraduates. He lectures and exhibits widely, and is a recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artists Grant in Photography. Barry lives in North Adams, Massachusetts.