Dr. Leanne Bodenstein is a Lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University and a registered Professional Engineer (PrEng) with the Engineering Council of South Africa. She obtained her PhD through a joint programme between Stellenbosch University and Université de Bretagne Occidentale in France.

Her research is centred on microwave engineering, with particular emphasis on the design and optimisation of antennas, filters, and integrated electromagnetic systems. She specialises in advanced surrogate modelling and uncertainty quantification techniques, including Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE), Nonlinear Partial Least Squares PCE (NLPLS-PCE), and hybrid modelling frameworks. Her work addresses key challenges in high-frequency electromagnetic design, particularly the efficient incorporation of manufacturing tolerances and variability through yield-driven optimisation.

Dr. Bodenstein has developed methodologies that combine surrogate modelling with optimisation strategies such as Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) to significantly reduce computational cost while maintaining high-fidelity electromagnetic performance. Her research contributions include feature-based modelling approaches and data-driven design techniques for complex microwave structures.

She has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers and maintains an active pipeline of high-impact research outputs. Her work is supported by competitive funding and includes collaborations with international partners and industry stakeholders. Her research is closely aligned with applications in radio astronomy, including the development of high-stability filters and integrated filter–antenna (filtenna) systems for radio frequency interference mitigation.

In addition to her research, Dr. Bodenstein is actively involved in teaching and supervision across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and contributes to departmental leadership, mentorship, and academic development initiatives.