Stuart's research interest involves examining the effects of auditory stimuli on human performance and cognition. Stuart's current research analyses auditory countermeasures for sleep inertia, commonly known as morning grogginess. Stuart's recent research proposes to move beyond macro level stimuli categorization, towards a detailed understanding of the musical elements essential for the improvement of waking sound design for sleep inertia. Stuart's research is the first to show that 'melodic' sounds used for arousal are more effective in reducing symptoms of sleep inertia when compared to non-melodic compositions.

Stuart is a strong advocate of multidisciplinary research and collaboration, is an award-winning designer, and professional musician with 25+ years’ experience.