Stuart received a B.Sc (Hons) majoring in Pharmacology from Monash University in 1998. He subsequently worked as a research assistant at West Virginia University throughout 1999-2000, before returning to Australia to earn a PhD in neuroscience from Monash University in 2004. His postdoctoral training was carried out within the Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon from 2005-2011 in the Andresen laboratory with a CJ Martin fellowship and he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor in 2010. Stuart was recruited to the Florey to establish a laboratory in 2012 and is currently a senior research officer and lab head within the institute. 

His primary interests are in neuronal signalling and synaptic integration. His research has concentrated on the viscerosensory system, with a particular focus on neural signals sent from the internal organs to the brain via the vagus nerve. The McDougall laboratory (aka viscerosensory lab) ultimately aims to manipulate behaviours (satiety, seizures, memory) and physiological outcomes (blood pressure) via selective modulation of viscerosensory signals. To this end the lab is currently pursuing optoceutical strategies to treat diseases such as obesity and epilepsy. 

Involved grants: 
• Australian Research Council Discovery Project “Inhibition of sensory relay mechanisms.” 2017-19; as CIB, CIA A/Prof. Mathias Dutschmann 
• NHMRC Project grant “A potential analgesic target in a novel clinically-relevant neuropathic pain pathway.” 2016-18; as CIB, CIA Dr Jenny Gunnersen 
• University of Melbourne Research Grant Support Scheme 2015 as CIA 
• NHMRC Project grant “Understanding the origins of neurogenic hypertension” 2015-17; as CIB, CIA Dr Song Yoa 
• NHMRC Project grant ‘Salt, opiates and addiction’ 2015-17; as CIC, CIA Prof. Andrew Lawrence 
• University of Melbourne Early Career Researcher Grants Scheme 2014 as CIA 
• C.J. Martin Fellowship; 2006-8, 2011-13 

Key collaborators

Prof. Andrew Allen 
https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/sbs-research-groups/physiology/central-cardiovascular-regulation2 

Dr Jenny Gunnerson 
https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/sbs-research-groups/department-of-anatomy-and-neuroscience/neuron-development-and-plasticity 

A. Prof. James Peters 
http://ipn.vetmed.wsu.edu/people/faculty-ipn/profile/james-h.-peters 

Within the Florey: Prof. Andrew Lawrence, Dr Song Yao, A/Prof. Mathias Dutschmann, A/Prof. Clare Parish, A/Prof. Lachlan Thompson, Prof. Ross Bathgate, A/Prof. Jason Howitt.