Dr David Arnold is an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Bristol and a Respiratory Registrar at North Bristol NHS Trust. ​

His research interests include respiratory infection, specifically pleural infection, COVID-19 and pneumonia, and malignant pleural disease including mesothelioma. His PhD, funded by the NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship programme, focused on novel management of pleural infection to reduce the burden on patients and the health system.​

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic David co-led a multicentre observational study of patients admitted with COVID-19 (DISCOVER study), the results of which have contributed to national guidance. He was also part of the AERATOR study team, funded by an NIHR Rapid COVID call, a cross-collaborative project assessing aerosol emission from medical procedures.​

Dr Arnold chairs the South-west Respiratory Registrar Research Network, which was the first regional research network for respiratory trainees in the UK and sits on the UK Pleural Society committee.​