Christopher Leon is a Canadian physical chemist whose research interests are driven by fundamental questions in surface science, particularly those accentuated at the nanoscale by interactions with electrons and photons. This approach provides insights into areas such as materials engineering, device fabrication, optoelectronics, and green energy. Since August 2024, he has been an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

He brings to the department expertise in atomic-scale fabrication, molecular imaging at interfaces and ultra-high vacuum instrumentation acquired during his postdoctoral employment at the University of Alberta, and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. He obtained his doctorate in experimental physical chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in surface catalysis, molecular beams and electron-based ultra-high vacuum spectroscopy. He also holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Independent Studies with thesis in Theoretical Chemistry, both from the University of Waterloo.