Robert Nicholson graduated from University of California, Davis in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. While at UC Davis, he worked as a research coordinator for a United States Air Force Reserve - 349th Aeromedical Staging Squadron.

In 2007 Robert joined the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) as a research assistant on the study entitled Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions. Since joining the MAC, he has collaborated with several other projects: New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity, Cognitive Health and Brain Vulnerability in Aging Insulin Resistant Patients, Epileptiform Activity in Neurodegenerative Disease, Phase II Alzheimer's disease clinical trial, and the Latino Memory Clinic. Robert now works for the MAC's clinical trials team. Robert is the primary study coordinator on Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia treatment trials, including an oral antagonist Phase III trial and an oral antagonist Phase IV trial.