Professor James Leibold is a leading authority on the politics of ethnicity, race, and national identity in modern Chinese history and society. His research critically examines the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to forge a unitary nation-state through governance, securitisation, and cultural assimilation, particularly in regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia. He has twice been named Australia's leading researcher in Asian studies and history by the The Australian newspaper (2019, 2026).

He has authored or co-edited four books and published over a hundred articles, book chapters, and essays. His expertise is frequently sought by international media, with insights featured in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, ABC Four Corners, and China Leadership Monitor.

From 2018 to 2022, Professor Leibold served as Lead Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project, "Urbanising Western China: Nation-building and Social Mobilisation on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier." He also directed the Xinjiang Data Project at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute between 2020 and 2023. That project produced an interactive map of the Chinese government's re-education camps, detailed governance chart, and eight research reports documenting human rights abuses in Xinjiang, work that attracted international attention, resulted in new legislation, and served as "a textbook example of the sophisticated use of open sources to shed light on an otherwise opague issue," according to the Varghese Report into strategic policy work.

In addition to his research, Professor Leibold has contributed to policy discussions through submissions to parliamentary inquiries, consultancies, and work as a legal expert witness. He has also engaged in public scholarship, sharing his knowledge through various media platforms, podcasts, and academic forums. Professor Leibold is committed to mentoring colleagues and has conducted workshops aimed at enhancing research communication skills, reflecting his dedication to bridging academic research and public discourse.