David trained at Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre before moving to the Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, NSW. Here, together with several dedicated colleagues, he formed the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) and the Australasian Brachytherapy Group. He moved to Geelong, to set up the city’s first radiation oncology service, and then to Perth as the director of radiation oncology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

David is a clinical professor at the University of Western Australia, adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University and an honorary associate of the University of Sydney. He consults with GenesisCare in Wembley and Albany.

Together with Professor Keith Kaye, David was involved in the development of the prostate seed brachytherapy program in Australia, which included education for centres in Australia and New Zealand.

David was the international co-chair on the TARGIT trial about radiation therapy for the treatment of early breast cancer, which followed with two publications in the Lancet.

In association with Professor Jim Denham and the TROG group, David was the Australian chair and principal investigator for the RADAR trial, which examined the use of hormonal therapy and radiation therapy techniques in the treatment of prostate cancer.

David’s philosophy is to translate the results of research into clinical practice and to practice evidence based medicine. Recognised internationally for his services to oncology and his dedication to research and teaching, he has over 500 publications to his name and has been a principal investigator and collaborator on numerous leading international clinical trials. In 2019, he was awarded the Research Excellence Award by the Cancer Council.

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David has strong family values and is married with a son and two daughters. To burn off his love of good Italian or French cuisine, he enjoys long distance running with his border collies and friends, or cycling.