Robert Johnson graduated Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney in 1977. He is a principal/partner in a small animal, wildlife and reptile practice in western Sydney and works as a clinical veterinarian at Taronga Zoo. Robert is a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists (Feline Medicine) and holds a Certificate in Zoological Medicine from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Modern Greek language and literature (UNE) and a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies (UNE).

Robert’s research interests include the in situ conservation of the Fijian Crested Iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, the collection of baseline haematological and biochemical data of captive and free-living Australian herpetofauna and the veterinary care of echidnas.

Recently Robert was awarded a Taronga Foundation Field Conservation Grant to provide veterinary screening and health evaluation during the translocation of Fijian Crested Iguanas. He is also researching haematological and biochemical parameters in the free living Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii.

He is President of the Unusual and Exotic Pets Group of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and a member of the Policy Advisory Council of the AVA. He also lectures in reptile and wildlife medicine at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville.