Robert Lawrence Barchi (born November 23, 1946) is an American academic, physician, and scientist.

[7] Barchi began as his career an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Barchi's research in neuroscience and neurology has been supported by the National Institutes of Health.

His most extensive research focus has been on voltage-gated ion channels in nerve and muscle and the role these molecules can play in human disease.

He led the establishment and construction of an honors college at New Brunswick that contributed to a 50-point rise in average SAT scores of incoming students over four years.

Barchi welcomed President Barack Obama to speak at the 2016 commencement ceremony celebrating Rutgers' 250th anniversary year.

Barchi is an authority on timepieces, with a special interest in their history and mechanical development.