Meet the lab!

John G. Phillips (he/him)

Principal Investigator - jphillips1 [at] valdosta [dot] edu

Ph.D. - University of Tulsa, 2017

B.S. - Central Michigan University, 2012

Dr. Phillips is a genomic naturalist and an Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University. His research interests include various aspects of molecular ecology and genomic evolution. He loves observing his study organisms (mostly herps, also land snails) in their native habitats and is fortunate to have conducted research in a variety of theaters from the caves of the Ozarks to the fjords of Iceland, to the famed Galápagos Islands where he searches for elusive snails. ORCID: 0000-0003-3974-4309

The Phillips lab is always looking for students interested in doing a Master's degree or undergraduate researchers at Valdosta State! 

Could this be you? Email Dr. Phillips if you are interested!!!

Graduate Researchers

Ali Ashraf

Master's Student 2023–present

B.A. - Reed College, 2022

Ali Ashraf is a Master's student in the Phillips Lab. Originally from Fremont, California in the southeast San Francisco Bay Area, he earned his undergraduate degree in Portland, Oregon at Reed College where he wrote a senior thesis studying asexual reproduction in Columbian monkshood (Aconitum columbianum). 

Here at VSU, he is studying broad-scale phylogeography of the banded Watersnake. When not on campus he spends his time photographing the local wildlife and posting pictures to iNaturalist, and enjoying the warm Georgia weather.

Alysa Smith

Master's Student 2024–present

Undergrad Researcher 2022–2023

B.S. - Valdosta State University, 2023

Originally an undergraduate research on the Anuran Acoustics team, Alysa is a Master's student in the Phillips Lab en route to attending Vet School.

Alysa's research interests include population and ecosystem health and she plans on studying population dynamics and demography of freshwater turtles in her Master's work.

Undergraduate Researchers

Jewell Johnson

Undergrad Researcher 2022–present

B.A. - Valdosta State University, 2024

Jewell has been working as part of the Anuran Acoustics team since 2022, having conducted several independent projects including her oral presentation Testing the Acoustic Adaptation Hypothesis: Anuran Signal Transmission at Different Heights during the 2024 VSU Undergraduate Research Symposium

Her interests center on wetland ecology, which she will be pursuing through the NSF Woods2Water Program through the University of Alabama and Jones Center at Ichauway.

Mia Price

Undergrad Researcher 2022–present

B.S. 20??

Mia has been volunteering in the Phillips lab since fall of 2022. She plans on attending vet school, but in the meantime she conducted and presented a project on introduced lizards to the Hawaiian Islands! Mia is interested in animal ecology and behavior.

Clayton Gall

Undergrad Researcher 2023–present

B.S. 20??

Clay is interested in ecology and biogeography. Currently he is conducted coverboard experiments to survey and study fossorial herpetofauna in south Georgia, especially the (very) Slimy Salamander Plethodon grobmani.

Bibi Ismaily

Undergrad Researcher 2023–present

B.S. 20??

Bibi joined the lab in Fall of 2023 as she is interested in genetics and human health. Bibi is currently learning valuable bench skills such as DNA Extraction and PCR

Prospective Undergraduate Researcher(s)

Lots of space for lots of you here!!! (we have several, they just haven't sent me pictures yet!)


*Caution is always encouraged if one is to pick up a snapping turtle...

The Phillips lab wants YOU! If you are a Valdosta student in the Biology Department (or someone with biological interests!), email Dr. Phillips or stop by his office (BSC 2210)! (or lab, BSC2078)

Lab Alumni