Renata Leitão's research focuses on the empowerment and self-determination of Indigenous and marginalized communities. As a 2021–22 Global Public Voices fellow, she plans to develop new ways to represent, record, code, and share knowledge while bringing visual and narrative creative processes to the forefront.

Leitão is a graphic designer whose research activities include "redesigning design" to foster social justice and a civilizational transition towards sustainability.