Matthias Leese's research is interested in the effects of digital transformation on governance. Empirically, it pays specific attention to security organizations and how their work is reconstituted through digital infrastructures and algorithmic knowledge making. He has published widely in leading journals in the fields of Political Science, International Relations, Science and Technology Studies, and Criminology. Together with Simon Egbert, he is co-author of “Criminal Futures: Predictive Policing and Everyday Police Work.” Since 2025, he is editor-in-chief at the Journal of International Relations and Development. In 2021, he has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for the study of data quality in European law enforcement and border control cooperation (CURATE).