Barry Meier joined the staff of The New York Times in 1989.  He has specialized in reporting on business, public policy and health and safety.  His investigations have examined, among other subjects, the overzealous marketing of the painkiller OxyContin, the selective release of drug trial findings and self-dealing among companies involved in the hospital supply industry.

Before joining The Times, he was a special projects reporter for New York Newsday.  Previously, he worked for five years as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. His articles both at The Times and elsewhere have led to Congressional hearings and changes in federal laws.

He is also the author of “Pain Killer: A ‘Wonder’ Drug’s Trail of Addiction and Death,” published in 2003, a book about pain treatment and prescription drug abuse that grew out of his reporting about OxyContin for The Times.

Mr. Meier has also been involved in New York Times Television projects, including “Stolen Treasures,” an hour-long documentary in 2004 that traced the trail of a stolen Egyptian artifact through the international antiquities market.

Born in New York on May 10, 1949, Mr. Meier attended Syracuse University.  He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Ellen Joan Pollock, an editor for The Wall Street Journal, and their daughter.