Matthew Schwartz's research is focused on expanding the boundaries of our current understanding of particle physics. This includes both developing new theoretical techniques for precision calculations and exploring the phenomenological consequences of new physics scenarios. He has contributed to diverse realms of particle physics, such as supergravity, strong dynamics, flavor physics, quantum chromodynamics, B-physics, grand unification, and non-perturbative models of nuclear structure based on extra dimensions.

His current research is devoted to getting better theoretical control over difficult but critically important discovery channels at the Large Hadron Collider  (LHC). To this  end, he work mostly in two broad areas: developing new ideas and methods for precision calculations in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and in isolating  distinguishing features of new physics models.

In his work on QCD, Prof. Schwartz has been exploring how to take calculations of important observables at colliders to new levels of precision. By expanding in  variables more appropriate than the strong coupling constant, such as jet masses, he has provided he world's best calculation of a number of observables, including  some e+e- event shapes and the spectrum of high energy gauge bosons at hadron colliders. Professor Schwartz has also been instrumental in establishing the field of  jet substructure as an essential component of the LHC program. He has made foundational contributions to the phenomenology of top jets, color flow, and quark and gluon jet discrimination.