Caleb D. Phillips

Interim Assistant Director, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of TTU

Curator of Genetic Resources, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of TTU

Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University

Ph.D., Genetics, Purdue University, 2009
M.S., Biology, Tarleton State University, 2006
B.S., Biology, Tarleton State University, 2003

The Phillips laboratory studies functional relationships between genomes and metagenomes.

Major emphasis for the lab is studying how individual genetic uniqueness predisposes people to colonization of species of bacteria in chronic non-healing wounds. The motivation for this investigation is that microbes are known to differentially influence healing, and patients vary a lot in healing outcomes. The ability to quantify the patient’s genetic contribution to these healing differences has implications for prevention, intervention, and targeted therapeutics. This work is being conducted in collaboration with the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center and involves the development of the Wolcott Wound Care Research Collection at The Museum at TTU.

Other interests and projects involve genetics and metagenomics of mammals, with emphasis on bat microbiomes.

Contact Information

Office Phone: (806)834-8181
Email: caleb.phillips@ttu.edu (opens in new window)

Web Links

Curriculum vitae

The Robert J. Baker Genetic Resources Collection

Google Scholar Site (opens in new window)

Phillips' Laboratory

Selected Publications

Gabrilska R, Omeir K, Ancira J, Tipton C, Miller C, Noe A, Subasinghe K, Rowe M, Phillips N Wolcott J, Phillips CD (2025) Heritable tissue-specific gene expression associates with chronic wound microbial species. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00831-6 (opens in new window)

Ancira J, Gabrilska R, Tipton CD, Miller C, Stickley Z, Omeir K, Wakeman C, Little T, Wolcott J, Phillips CD (2025) A Structural equation model predicts chronic wound healing time using patient characteristics and wound microbiome composition. Wound Repair and Regeneration. doi: 10.1111/wrr.70004.

Neha SA, Hanson JD, Wilkinson JE, Bradley RD, Phillips CD (2025) Impacts of host phylogeny, diet, and geography on the gut microbiome of rodents. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316101 (opens in new window) 

Omeir K, Ancira J, Gabrilska R, Tipton C, Miller C, Noe A, Subasinghe K, Rowe M, Phillips N Wolcott J, Phillips CD (2025) Heritable tissue-specific gene expression associates with chronic wound microbial species. Wound Repair and Regeneration. doi: 10.1111/wrr.70055.

Avirineni, B.S., Singh, A., Zapata, R.C., Stevens, R.D., Phillips, C.D. and Chelikani, P.K. (2022) Diets Containing Egg or Whey Protein and Inulin Fiber Improve Energy Balance and Modulate Gut Microbiota in Exercising Obese Rats. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. Doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202100653

Amarilla-Stevens, H.N., Stevens, R.D., Phillips, C.D., Bradley, R.D. (2022) Temporal Rate of Post-mortem DNA Degradation in Archived Tissue Samples: Evidence from Liver and Muscle. Journal of Mammalogy, 104:194-202. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac089 (opens in new window) 

Soniat TJ, Sihaloho H, Stevens RD, Little TD, Phillips CD, Bradley RD (2021) Temporal-dependent effects of DNA degradation on frozen tissues archived at -80^oC. Journal of Mammalogy 102: 375-383. DOI:10.1093/jmammal/gyab009 

Phillips CD, Dunnum JL, Dowler RC, Bradley LC, Garner HJ, Macdonald KA, Lim BK, Revelez MA, Campbell ML, Lutz HL, Ordonez-Garza N, Cook JA, Bradley RD, And The Systematic Collections Committee Of The American Society Of Mammalogists (2019) Curatorial guidelines and standards of the American Society of Mammalogists for collections of genetic resources. Journal of Mammalogy, 100(5): 1690-1694.

Tipton CD, Sanford NE, Everett JA, Gabrilska RA, Wolcott RD, Rumbaugh KP, Phillips CD (2019) Chronic wound microbiome colonization on mouse model following cryogenic preservation. PLoS ONE, 14(8): e0221565