A/Prof Barton is a primary care scientist in the Department of General Practice. An experienced academic working across primary care and public health, his current research program is centred around quality in primary care management of complex and chronic illness and focuses specially on patient experience of care and management of respiratory illness and smoking/vaping cessation in primary care.

He has a long-standing research interest in the emotional and social impact of chronic respiratory illnesses including asthma and COPD amongst primary care patients and individuals living in the community. This research is cited in Australia’s asthma management guidelines and has helped shape the current National Asthma Strategy 2018 and is cited in the Lung Foundation Australia Blue Print for Action on COPD (2022-25).

He is the Convener of the Primary Care special interest group of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and was a member of the writing group for a TSANZ position paper on oral corticosteroid stewardship in 2021.

Another major focus of Dr Barton’s academic work is research capacity building. He oversees the delivery of a research training 'activity package' for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to GP academic registrars participating in an academic post. This program is the principal national program contributing to research capacity building in primary care in Australia and A/Prof Barton was awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Industry Education Programs for this work in 2021.

A/Prof Barton is the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine coordinator for the Bachelor of Medical Science Honours program and supports early and mid career researchers in the SPHPM.

He was treasurer of the Academic Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) from 2019-2021 and a long-standing member of the RACGP research evaluation and ethics committee (2014-2020). He is currently the Convener of the Primary Care Special Interest Group of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ).