Leslie Hicks is an American associate professor of analytical chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her work primarily focuses on the study of proteomics and protein post-translational modifications using mass spectrometry, and identifying biologically active peptides in plants.

[3] Hicks' research focuses largely on the development and implementation of mass spectrometric methods for protein identification and characterization.

[6] To a similar end, Hicks' group has extended its work to examine how the reversible oxidation of thiols plays a role in signaling[7] and effector-triggered immunity.

Recent work has involved the development of a comprehensive analytical approach using LC-MS for the identification of novel antimicrobial peptides from botanical,[10][11] fungal,[12] and bacterial[13] sources.