Phillip Harris

Dr. Phillip Harris is the Faculty Curator of Ichthyology at The University of Alabama Museums. He specializes in fish systematics, phylogenetics, and conservation genetics, with a focus on freshwater and marine fishes. His work integrates biodiversity collections, molecular data, and environmental informatics to study evolutionary patterns and ecological dynamics. Harris leads efforts to preserve genetic resources and manage museum collections, such as the University of Alabama Ichthyological Collection.

His research interests include fish taxonomy, phylogeny of Cypriniformes, conservation genetics of endangered species, and the historical biogeography of freshwater systems. He has conducted studies across North America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, addressing topics like species discovery, cryptic diversity, and the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems.

Harris has secured grants for projects such as the emergency rescue of genetic resources from Saint Louis University’s collection and the consolidation of Alabama’s fish collections. His contributions include over 50 peer-reviewed articles, spanning disciplines from molecular systematics to environmental policy.

He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology and has advised multiple collaborative initiatives on biodiversity preservation. His work emphasizes the role of museum collections in long-term ecological research and conservation planning.