Leoné is a Senior Research Officer at the University of Cape Town. She is an applied economist that combines insights from economics, political economy, and history. Her research aims to better understand the political economy and economic history of the tobacco and alcohol landscapes. She is interested in the dynamics between economic and political actors, and institutions within the tobacco and alcohol sectors, exploring their socio-economic consequences and how policy can address this. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria.