Robert scientifically applies cognitive engineering to cyberspace, transportation, and defense. His recent research focuses on engineering human attention (How do humans select what task to do when they are multitasking and overwhelmed? Can models predict this behavior? How do we measure how hard people work when they are thinking?), human-automation interaction (How do humans learn to interact with and trust complex systems, particularly those which use automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning? How do we best measure trust and reliance on technology?), human-centric defensive cyberspace operations (How does a cyber analyst protecting networks develop awareness? Could cognitive techniques be used against would-be attackers to make defenses more robust? Can we build automated defenses that operators trust and understand?), and generally improving human systems integration (HSI) efforts across large enterprises including military and healthcare domains.
He has been funded by the Army Research Office (ARO), Assistant Secretary of Defense, DARPA, IARPA, NASA, and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), among other government sources.
He is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, receiving numerous awards including the Human Factors Society’s Jerome H. Ely Award for the most outstanding journal article, the Marc Resnick best paper award, and numerous 'Editor's Picks' highlights. Robert has also been repeatedly recognized for exceptional leadership and mentoring across several multi-disciplinary projects, receiving leadership and exemplary achievement awards from the United States Navy.