His research focuses primarily on the effects of intellectual property structures on the dissemination and production of technological innovation, with a focus on basic scientific research and technical standards development. He has studied these effects in industries ranging from genomics and bioinformatics to sustainable building materials, telecommunications and computer networking. Professor Contreras is Co-Chair of the National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists (NCLS) and Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Science & Technology Law’s Committee on Technical Standardization. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Council of NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) and the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Intellectual Property Management in Standard-Setting Processes.