Professor Bunn is the Director of the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University in Brisbane.  His major research interests are in the ecology of river and wetland systems with a particular focus on the science to underpin river management.  Stuart has extensive experience working with international and Australian government agencies and with industry on water resource management issues.

From 2008-2012, he was appointed as an Australian National Water Commissioner and has previously served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum and as a Director of Land and Water Australia. He is currently the chair of the science advisory committees for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Healthy Waterways Limited, and is a member of the International Planning Committee for the new Sustainable Water Future Programme, established under the Future Earth research platform on global environmental change.