His research focuses on the social production of environmental health risks and the contestations that emerge around environmental problems in the areas of science, policy, and medicine. Recent research includes an NIEHS-funded project to examine the long-term psychosocial and community health impacts of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an investigation of the use of community-based science in social movement organizations, and a National Science Foundation-funded project exploring the interactions of labor and environmental social movement organizations in the United States. Through his qualitative research methodology, Brian often makes use of community-based participatory research in order to engage local stakeholders.