Sussman's interest was in the evolution of behavior in primates, and he was known for his work with lemurs from Madagascar. He said that studying the behavior of primates would enhance the understanding of human behavior.[2] In the 1990s, he was editor-in-chief of the journal American Anthropologist.[3] He was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2000, and he later chaired AAAS Section H (Anthropology).[4]
Sussman died at his home on June 8, 2016, not long after being released from the hospital after a stroke. He was survived by his wife Linda, who was a medical anthropologist and research associate in WUSTL's anthropology department.[2] In 2018, the AAAS established the Robert W. Sussman Award for Scientific Contributions to Anthropology.[7]