Adj A/Prof Barkham obtained his medical degree (MBBS) from the University of London. He undertook specialist training at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK, obtaining a MSc in Clinical Microbiology, a certificate of completion of specialist training, and membership of the Royal College of Pathologists. He has a Certificate in Travel Health, and Compressed Air Works.

He is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at TTSH. He also practices in the Travellers Health and Vaccine Clinic at TTSH. He is heavily involved in education as an Adjunct Associate Professor (Adj A/Prof) at the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS YLL SoM) and is the Programme Director of the Microbiology Residency in Singapore. He currently serves as chairman of the NEA Bioethics Review Committee.

He received the Courage Medal in 2003 and the COVID Resilience Medal in 2023. His awards include the Digital Education Award (Team) 2021 (NUS YLL SoM), the TTSH Research Award for Impactful Collaboration in 2020 for the Development of a SARS-CoV-2 Assay, the NHG Outstanding Research Impact Award 2019 for international work on Streptococcus agalactiae, and the NUS Medicine Special Recognition Award for Academic Year 2017/2018.