Phillips develops theories of the atomic nucleus and has a particular interest in uncertainty quantification—the science of assessing the reliability of scientific predictions. He is the Principal Investigator of a $3.7M grant from the National Science Foundation, obtained together with researchers from Michigan State, Northwestern, and Ohio State called “Bayesian Analysis of Nuclear Dynamics” which seeks to improve forecasts of nuclear-physics quantities.

He is also interested in the way nuclei that are only just stable behave, and is strongly involved with the $700M Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. His work is internationally recognized and he has held Visiting Professorships in Japan and Germany. He has been named as both a Fellow and an Outstanding Referee by the American Physical Society.

Phillips is an expert in nuclear physics, particle physics, and Bayesian statistics. He develops theories of the atomic nucleus and has a particular interest in uncertainty quantification.