Dudley's research has included topics in ultrafast optics, supercontinuum generation and the science of rogue waves. His research has been supported from diverse sources including the French National Research Agency and the European Research Council. In the field of optical physics, he is particularly recognized for his contributions in ultrafast optical pulse metrology, nonlinear fiber optics, the study of nonlinear localized soliton structures, and especially broadband fiber supercontinuum generation. Dudley has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals with his work receiving over 30000 Google Scholar citations and a Google Scholar (Hirsch) h-index of 80.