Dr. Roby is a virologist and innate immunologist whose research focuses on virus-host interactions and the molecular mechanisms that underly viral pathogenesis. He completed his Ph.D. at The University of Queensland in 2014, where he developed a DNA-launched, self-replicating West Nile virus vaccine, before undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Seattle, investigating innate immune signalling in response to flaviviral infection.

Between 2019-2026, Dr. Roby worked as a Virology Research Fellow at the Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, where he spearheaded a research group examining how human and veterinary viruses manipulate host cell signalling pathways to promote replication and evade immune defences. Dr. Roby joined La Trobe in early 2026 as an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences within the Department of Rural Clinical Sciences, La Trobe Rural Health School in Bendigo.

Dr. Roby is also a passionate advocate for equity, diversity, and regional engagement in science, having served in several roles promoting equity issues within the Australasian Virology Society and within the Universities he has worked.