Stuart’s main interest is neuroimaging and pain and he has written extensively on these topics. He has been variously funded by the Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Wellcome Trust to investigate functional pain using brain imaging. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Pain and the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Stuart’s work extends beyond pain and imaging, however, to deeper questions of what it means to be human and how experience develops. Consequently he has written extensively on a wide range of topics including fetal pain, mobile phones, shopping, evolutionary psychology and the brain. His work has been quoted extensively in the international print media and he has appeared several times on radio and television. He is also regularly consulted for his expertise and has submitted evidence for the UK DOH and the Commons Science and Technology Committee and has spoken before the Virginia Senate in the US and consulted for the New York Civil Liberties Association.