Dr. Leader is an Associate Professor in the Division of Population Science, Department of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Rutgers University School of Public Health, Department of Health Education and Behavioral Science. She recently completed a study related to hepatitis C awareness and decision making about screening that was funded by the Pennsylvania State Department of Health (Development of a Decision Aid for Hepatitis C Testing in High Risk Populations), as well as a study on HPV vaccine acceptance among high-risk female adolescents in Philadelphia, also funded by the Pennsylvania State Department of Health (HPV Vaccination of Underserved Adolescent and Young Women in Pennsylvania Small Group Interventions to Enhance HPV Vaccination Rates). Currently, Dr. Leader is a Co-Principal Investigator of a study funded by Merck, Inc. that aims to increase HPV vaccination awareness through educating customers in African American beauty salons (Promoting HPV Vaccination through African American Beauty Salons: A Pilot Test of a Culturally Competent Education Strategy).  Dr. Leader was recently awarded pilot funding from the American Cancer Society to expand her HPV vaccine work into the area of adolescent males (Increasing HPV Vaccination among Adolescent Males in a Primary Care Setting).  Dr. Leader also continues to work on other aspects of medical decision making in the areas of treatment for low-risk prostate cancer and participation in cancer clinical trials.

Previously, Dr. Leader was a Research Director at the National Cancer Institute's Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research (CECCR) at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her work at the CECCR, Dr. Leader was a Data Manager at the D.C. Department of Health in Washington, DC for the D.C. Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. She has also conducted research with the Department of Prevention and Community Health at GWU School of Public Health and the Applied Cancer Screening Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute.