He worked at the National Science Foundation for nearly thirty years before joining the US government research facility Fermilab.

[6] While there, he helped establish the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at University of California, Santa Barbara.

[6] His work on neutrinos at Fermilab was featured on the PBS science television series Nova, episode "The Ghost Particle".

[6] Boris met Susan Kayser née Zimet in 1956 when they were both finalists for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

They were at a house party for finalists hosted by former WSTS winner, Nobel laureate Roald Hoffman.