David's current research focus is on prevention of violence against women in India. His interests include evaluation of community-based programmes through a range of methodologies such as cluster randomised controlled trials. He has a track record of research into maternal and newborn care and outcomes in poor communities, low birth weight, nutritional interventions to improve newborn survival, community mobilisation through participatory interventions, health service interventions to improve the quality and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care, field surveillance systems for public health indicators, and large-scale evaluation of public health interventions. He has conceived and collaborated on a number of cluster randomized controlled trials to improve newborn health and survival, in India, Nepal and Malawi. In recent years he has become increasingly involved in research on urban health, particularly of women and children in vulnerable communities. His primary current collaboration is with the Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) in Mumbai, India.