An art historian, her work focuses on ancient Egyptian art, composition, gender and sexuality.
Professor Gay Robins studied Egyptology as an undergraduate at the University of Durham, and then obtained a D.Phil. from Oxford University in 1981 under the supervision of Professor John Baines. In 1988 obtained her promotion to Professor. She retired in 2018 as Professor Emerita of Art History. Over the course of her career, she has published numerous articles and books on the topics of Ancient Egyptian art, the decoration of eighteenth dynasty non-royal Theban tombs, and women and gender issues in Ancient Egypt.