After graduating from Swarthmore, he completed his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at MIT in 2007 under the supervision of Professor Stephen Lippard.  

His dissertation focused on understanding the mechanism of dioxygen activation and substrate hydroxylation by a diiron protein, which is related to biologically important enzymes (e.g., ribonucleotide reductase and ferritin).  

After completing his doctorate, Leslie moved to the University of California, Berkeley, to conduct his post-doctoral research in Professor Jeff Long's group, which focused on the design of metal-organic frameworks for gas storage and separation.

In 2010, Leslie began his appointment at the University of Florida, and his research focuses on the bioinspired design of metal complexes for small molecule activation.  

More information about his research can be found on his group's website.