Dr Stewart did his undergraduate training in New Zealand (Otago University), and his postgraduate specialist training, including a doctoral thesis, in the United Kingdom.  He worked successively at St George's Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital, all in London, as a cardiology trainee from 1986 to 1993.  He spent one year (1994) at the Montreal Heart Institute, before returning to New Zealand to a consultant post in interventional cardiology at Green Lane Hospital, Auckland in 1995.  He has been based at the new Auckland City Hospital since it opened at the end of 2003;  all inpatient work in central Auckland is now concentrated at this site.

In addition to his public hospital commitment Dr Stewart has been in private practice in Auckland since 1998.  Initially this was as a solo practitioner, but he is delighted now to be able to combine his interests with those of Auckland Heart Group.

His main interests, in addition to general cardiology, reflect the areas of cardiology where he has spent most time in training and where he has been active in research i.e. interventional cardiology, the acute coronary syndromes, and cardiac pacing.  He has taken a lead role in the development of carotid stenting as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy locally, particularly in patients with established cardiac disease who are at high risk for traditional carotid surgery.  Currently Dr Stewart is the local principal investigator in a multicentre international trial comparing carotid stenting with carotid endarterectomy.

Given the impact of coronary disease on our society though, he is also a firm believer in the importance of preventive medicine, and the control of risk factors for myocardial infarction such as dyslipidaemia and hypertension.