Professor Leonie Barner is the inaugural director of the Centre for a Waste-Free World at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and a Principal Research Fellow at the School of Chemistry and Physics. She leads the Centre for a Waste-Free World and works closely with fellow academics to develop and implement new waste technologies and processes, while using social science knowledge to catalyse change towards a sustainable future and reduce barriers to participation and adoption of sustainability. She is a strong advocate for environmental, social, and economic sustainability focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Change), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Professor Barner is a member of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) and co-lead of the Circular Chemistry group at QUT.

Professor Barner has a PhD (dr. rer. nat.) in Physical Chemistry from the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (1998), specialising in reaction kinetics. She combines her knowledge of polymer chemistry and materials science with her ability to work across disciplines and sectors. Professor Barner's research focus includes circular chemistry and economy as well as life cycle assessments.