David Keith has extensive working knowledge of Australian ecosystems and their biota and 35 years’ experience in fire ecology, ecosystem survey, classification and mapping, as well as conservation biology of plants and animals.

The quality of his research has been recognised by the awarding of the prestigious 2020 Luc Hoffmann Award from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and the NSW Premier's Prize for Environmental Science (2019) and the Australian Institute of Botanical Science Eureka Prize for Excellence in Botanical Science (2024).

He has published over 200 research articles on a range of topics at the core of the Centre’s research needs, including in top journals such as Nature, Nature Climate Change and Conservation Biology.