Dr. Shaneica Lester research has primarily focused on the social and political dimensions of water security at different scales using a mixed-methods approach. From her work, a Water Accessibility Index was created as an effective tool to measure differences in access amidst high piped water coverage. The research also contributes to an understanding of the vulnerabilities which exist within the Kingston Water Supply System and the decision-making pathways of institutional actors within the water sector. Overall, the research addresses issues of access and equity, the construction of Jamaica’s current urban water governance framework and how it shapes water (in)security and sustainability within the city. Her interest in participatory action-oriented research to solve complex problems also motivates her to conceptualize projects which initiate meaningful change from the grassroots level. Worthy of note is the “Surviving the Drought Project” which she co-developed in 2016 to build farmers' adaptive capacity in on-farm water management within three of Jamaica’s driest communities. More recently, she developed the Youth Empowerment through Renewable Energy Project 2019” to train vulnerable rural youth in the assembly and installation of renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE/EE) technologies and increase awareness and use of these technologies in their coastal community. Both initiatives contribute to Jamaica’s national development plan, Vision 2030 and the Sustainable development goals.