Professor David Bright is a criminologist and forensic psychologist. His research interests include criminal networks, organised crime, and illicit markets (e.g., drugs, tobacco, firearms). He runs the Deakin Covert Networks Lab which conducts ground-breaking research using social network analysis and related approaches to study organised criminal groups and terrorist groups. He is an internationally recognised expert in the use of social network analysis and related approaches to study crime and offenders. He has developed key partnerships with law enforcement agencies across Australia and internationally and provides training to police and intelligence analysts on the use of social network analysis in operational contexts.

Professor Bright has been Chief Investigator on six consecutive Australian Research Council (ARC) funded projects in addition to projects funded by industry and government. His most recent book, published by Oxford University Press in 2025 is titled “Illicit firearms markets and organised crime: Global, regional and local perspectives”. The book explores international intersections between illicit firearms markets and the activities of organised criminal groups.