Donald Goldmann's work has focused on preventing and controlling hospital-acquired infections. He is currently pursuing three related investigational paths--infection control, health services research, and vaccine development.

In research on infection control, he is focusing on measures to improve compliance with hand hygiene and other barrier techniques as well as on improving antimicrobial use. He is the chair of Risk Group 4 of the Bacteriology and Mycology Study Group funded by NIAID, which conducts clinical trials of interventions designed to reduce antimicrobial resistance in ICUs and other high-risk settings.

His applied research in the health services arena focuses on quality measurement and improvement, clinical practice guideline development and evaluation, assessment of parental perceptions of care, and patient safety.

Dr. Goldmann collaborates with Dr. Gerald Pier at the Channing Laboratory.  Dr. Pier's group has developed a vaccine candidate for staphylococcal disease, which appears to be protective in animals.