Dr Leibold has research expertise on the politics of ethnicity, race and national identity in modern Chinese history and society, and is currently engaged in research on ethnic policy-making and ethnic conflict in contemporary China with a particular focus on the restive Western frontier and its Tibetan and Uyghur ethnic minorities. He is the author and co-editor of four books and over twenty-five peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and a frequent contributor to the international media on these topics. Dr Leibold is currently the lead Chief Investigator on an Australia Research Council funded project entitled "Urbanising Western China: Nation-building and Social Mobilisation on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier" (DP180101651)