Originally from County Durham, Robin began his academic career at Royal Holloway College, University of London in 1984, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor's degree in Human Physiology and Zoology. On graduation, Robin began his nursing career at the South Lothian College of Nursing and Midwifery in Edinburgh, eventually qualifying as a Registered General Nurse. On qualification Robin worked as a Staff Nurse at the Royal Free Hospital in London in several specialties including ENT, orthopaedic/trauma and general surgery before moving to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in 1994 to specialise in vascular surgery. In 1997 Robin became a Nurse Practitioner within the St Mary's group of hospitals and commenced his teaching qualification at Thames Valley University - graduating with a master's degree in Learning and Teaching in Healthcare in 2002, by which time he was working as a full time lecturer at TVU. In 2003 Robin moved to the University of Central Lancashire, in Preston, where he is currently the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing.