Professor Leonard is an applied development economist with expertise in Africa and a focus on human capital services in the rural economies of developing countries. His research deals primarily with the delivery of health care in Africa, particularly the role of institutions in mitigating the adverse consequences of asymmetric information. This has led him to research in peer effects and social networks as well as the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the provision of public services---particularly services characterized as credence goods, such as those supplied by teachers and doctors, for example.

Prof Leonard’s extensive experience in Africa has led him to research on gender, utilizing the variety of cultural norms found on the continent as a window onto the role of culture in determining behavior, especially differences in behavior across genders. It turns out Africa has a lot to tell us about gender: see these pieces in The Guardian and The Verge.

Prof Leonard usually collects his own data, choosing field sites and research teams, and designing his own surveys and experiments. He has lived and worked in several African countries, including Cameroun, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania.