She is internationally recognized for her research on eye diseases and cancer, and was a main researcher of the first study to determine major causes of blindness in African Americans. Leske also conducted a study on the relationship between electromagnetic fields and breast cancer on Long Island. She has received a number of professional awards, including the Harvard Public Health Alumni Award of Merit, an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of the West Indies and recognition as a Local Legend from the American Medical Women Association.