Richard took a degree in biochemistry at Bristol University in 1979,  obtaining a lectureship at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Later he proposed a research program in plant pathology using the new techniques first to understand disease resistance and fungal pathogenicity. The goal was to produce transgenic disease resistant crops.

He got the chance to return to Carlsberg in 1996 and added research on barley powdery mildew. The focus up to then had been in biotrophy. In 2000 moving to Australia to start a new research program on necrotrophic diseases of grains; wheat septoria nodorum blotch and tan spot; barley net blotch (but also powdery mildew), and Ascochyta diseases grain legumes and Medicago truncatula.

His interactions with the scientists, farmers, and staff in the GRDC family added substantially to his experience. Serving on the boards of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society and British Society for Plant Pathology further broadened my knowledge. He has written books on fungicides (CABI), wheat diseases (Burliegh Dodds) and the new edition of the general plant pathology textbook Agrios (Elsevier).