Meet the Expert: Dr. Emily Brimsek

Emily Brimsek
Director de Información Cualitativa

As senior manager of qualitative insights at UL Standards & Engagement, Dr. Emily Brimsek leads a team focused on human behavior and decision-making as they apply a range of methods to understand how people think about risk in real-world settings. That work often extends to complex, system-level challenges, including research on the movement of lithium-ion batteries through the global supply chain.

Prior to joining ULSE, Emily led research and evaluation projects for clients across the federal government, nonprofit sector, and pharmaceutical industry. Her work has included collaborations with federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Education, where she helped design and direct studies aimed at improving program outcomes and public understanding.

She has also contributed to research and publications for agencies including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Small Business Administration, translating complex findings into insights to help guide policy and practice.

Emily’s work balances thorough analysis and practical application, helping to better understand human behavior and use those insights to advance safety and decision-making. She holds her doctorate and master’s degrees from Brown University.

We had the chance to sit down to get to know Emily better. Learn more about her experience and how it’s defining her approach to working for a safer world.

Q: Emily, tell us briefly about your career and what you do today at UL Standards & Engagement?

A: My focus, across my career and at ULSE, is qualitative research, which is essentially unstructured data. That includes things like in-depth interviews, focus groups, observational and ethnographic research, even analyzing images, artifacts, or spaces to identify themes and patterns.

I’ve been doing this work for nearly 16 years. My Ph.D. set me up in the field, and I’ve spent my career using unstructured data to explore and help solve complex social and policy issues: everything from education and health policy to housing.

At ULSE, that work translates directly into safety advocacy. I focus on issues like supply chain safety, the products reaching consumers, and how we can support safer behaviors. A big part of my role is understanding what prevents people from acting safely and how we can achieve safer outcomes.

Q: What insights or unexpected themes have emerged from the focus groups you’ve conducted?

A: One of the most striking things is how personal safety is. People often discount safety concerns based on convenience, efficiency, or a belief that “it won’t happen to me.” That’s been surprising, and it’s something we need to combat as an advocacy organization.

We’re also working on the idea that people are more likely to change their behavior when they understand the “why” behind guidance and when they can connect to a personal story. It’s not enough to just tell people what to do. We have to convince them.

Q: Based on your conversations with stakeholders, where do you see the most significant gaps in lithium-ion battery safety today?

A: I’ve been shocked at how many people simply aren’t concerned about lithium-ion battery safety at all. That’s exactly what our research is trying to address. We have conducted focus groups with flight attendants and airline passengers, cargo carriers, e-bike retailers, legislators, and regulators. 

There are many potential failure points, and any one can be catastrophic. The lack of knowledge is not spreading as quickly as the technology.

Q: As the number of rechargeable devices entering the market continues to grow, more lithium-ion batteries are moving through the global supply chain, particularly in cargo. What concerns or trends are you hearing from industry about the risks these batteries pose in cargo environments?

A: The biggest issue is the sheer proliferation of products. Lithium-ion batteries are in everything now from hair curlers to kids’ toys and that makes it harder to track what’s being shipped and how.

At the same time, consumer demand is pushing for more powerful, faster-charging batteries, and it’s not always clear that safety considerations are keeping up. That demand can also incentivize the prioritization of speed and cost over safety.

We’re also seeing a lot of new sellers entering the market, especially through e-commerce, who simply don’t understand the risks or regulations. From our research, many are shipping these products in non-compliant ways, often because of a lack of awareness rather than intent.

Altogether, this presents a major challenge for cargo safety: the prevalence of lithium-ion batteries, combined with high demand for more products and faster-charging (often uncertified) batteries, as well as uninformed sellers shipping without proper packaging, labeling, or precautions. It’s a perfect storm that can unfortunately lead to thermal runaway and fires in cargo if we don’t address each of these issues.

Q: What actions or best practices can supply chain stakeholders implement to help mitigate the risks associated with transporting lithium-ion batteries?

A: The most viable step right now is better information sharing. That includes sharing intelligence about risky shippers or practices across airlines, regulators, and other stakeholders.

It also means educating the public, like helping people understand why batteries might need to ship by boat instead of plane, or why state-of-charge limits matter.

And finally, sharing best practices across the industry (i.e. what’s working, what’s reducing risk) so we can strengthen safety within the existing framework.

Q: What is one safety tip that most people don’t know but need to?

A: I’m going to give you three that have made a difference for me.

One, read the instructions on the products you buy and follow them. They’re there for a reason.

Two, choose certified products whenever possible.

And, three, something I do now that I never would have before is travel with a portable carbon monoxide detector. Very few places require them and it’s a simple step that offers peace of mind in unfamiliar places.