Robert was educated mostly in Brazil (Bsc Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas; MSc in Biochemistry, Universidade de Sao Paulo). After obtaining his PhD at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, in 1995, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Elliot Meyerowitz's laboratory at the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, USA), then returned to the John Innes Centre as a group leader in 1999. Robert became Head of the Cell and Developmental Biology Department at JIC in 2009 and is also Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia and a visiting Professor at Leeds University. While running the group, Robert is still directly involved in experimental work and is currently participating in the floral organ modelling project.

One of the current priorities in developmental biology is to develop computer models that can simulate and predict the way organs and organisms grow. Addressing the questions above will be essential for connecting these models with molecular mechanisms that can be controlled experimentally. Ultimately, this knowledge will allow rational modification of plant organ growth and crop performance.