Michael was born in Stockton-Upon-Tees in the UK in 1975. He is qualified automation and process control engineer, with eight years' industrial experience. He holds a BEng degree in electronic and electrical engineering (1999, Sunderland) and a PhD degree (2003, Sunderland) awarded following research into algorithms and architectures for real-time robot control. He is a full member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Following the award of his PhD, Michael spent seven years first working in research and then as a lecturer in embedded systems and control at the University of Leicester. In January 2010 he joined Teesside University as a senior lecturer in electronics and control. He is currently a Reader in Control Engineering and leads the Smart Energy and Smart Grid research group.

Michael has over thirteen years' experience of developing and delivering teaching material related to embedded systems, electronics and control at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. He has also acted as a visiting lecturer at the University of Ulster in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) in Penang, Malaysia to deliver and assess postgraduate course modules.

He now has more than seventeen years' experience of research at postdoctoral level, and has authored or co-authored over 130 reviewed publications. He is named as primary inventor on a related patent (currently pending). He has supervised or co-supervised four PhD completions and currently has two PhD students. He has been primary investigator / co-investigator on numerous completed and ongoing FP7, H2020 and private/Government funded research and innovation projects.

He is also a regular reviewer for several international journals and conferences, including those published by the IEEE, the IET, Elsevier, Springer, the ACM and IFAC. Similarly, Michael is a regular PC member and reviewer for several national and international conferences and workshops, including ICINCO, UKEF, RTN and ETFA. He is an associate editor for International Journal of Energies.

Michael’s research interests are varied and multi-disiplinary in nature, and encompass aspects of Control, Automation, Optimization, Informatics, Communications and Real-Time Embedded Systems and Networks.

Application areas include relevent aspects of Industry 4.0/Industrial Digitization, Smart Grids and Robotics/Process Control.

Michael has consultancy experience, providing expertise to a number of companies of regional, national and international scope. The expertise provided was in the area of industrial technology for a variety of applications, including high-pressure forming equipment, thermal coating equipment, marine systems, condition monitoring and demand response.

He is keen to establish further links with industry.