David is an Associate Professor in the School of Chemistry at Monash University. He has previously held an ARC Future Fellowship, an AINSE Research Fellowship and ARC Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the same institution, before being appointed as Senior Lecturer in 2016. He was awarded his PhD (2004) and MSci (2001) from King's College, London.

The research interests of the Turner group lie in the general fields of supramolecular and coordination chemistry. Current projects involve the syntheis of chiral coordination polymers and metal-organic polyhedra for enantiomeric separations, the use of neutron diffraction to explore hydrogen-bonding networks and the design/synthesis of amine-based porous materials for gas capture/separation.

The Turner group is currently offering PhD projects in the areas of (i) chiral supramolecular cages, (ii) chiral coordination polymers, (iii) amine-based metal-organic frameworks, and (iv) crystal engineering.

David contributes to the CSIRO 'Scientists in Schools' program through a partnership with Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School in which 1-2 year 11 students take part in laboratory-based research at Monash each year. David has also been involved with outreach with the Australian Synchrotron and the John Monash Science School.

David has served as the President of the Victorian Branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) and is currently the Secretary of the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ).