He received his Ph.D. in Paleoanthropology from Indiana University, Bloomington, where he studied with Nicholas Toth and Kathy Schick. He served as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Anthropology at George Washington University for 1 year and as a Lecturer in Paleolithic Archaeology at the University College London Institute of Archaeology for 4 years before relocating to Emory. His research focus on Paleolithic stone tool-making and human brain evolution integrates methods ranging from archaeological survey, excavation, and artifact analysis to experimental tool replication, psychometric testing, and brain imaging. Dr. Stout has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications including articles in journals ranging from Science to Current Anthropology, The Journal of Human Evolution, and The Journal of Neuroscience.