Amaral conducts and directs research that provides insight into the emergence, evolution, and stability of complex social and biological systems. His research aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing human societies, including the mitigation of errors in healthcare settings, the characterization of the aging process in mammals, and the study of the conditions fostering innovation and creativity. Amaral has published nearly 200 scientific peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals. Those papers have been cited tens of thousand of times. His research has been featured in numerous media sources, both in the US and abroad.