Robert Parton studied biochemistry in the UK before moving to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. In 1996, he moved to the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He is currently a group leader in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Deputy Director of the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis. His research centres on the microdomains of the plasma membrane, the role of lipid droplets in innate immunity, and the development and application of novel drug delivery vehicles. He is an ARC Laureate Fellow, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, an Associate Member of EMBO, and an Editor of the Journal of Cell Science.