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 the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (MIEEE), a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Engineering Professors Council (EPC).

Following the award of his PhD, Michael spent seven years 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 was made a Reader in Control Engineering in 2015 and Professor in August 2020. Michael leads the Center for Sustainable Engineering.

Michael has extensive experience of developing and delivering teaching material related to embedded systems, electronics, control systems and informatics 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 is currently visiting Professor at VIT Chennai (India) and External Examiner at RGU (Scotland).

He has authored or co-authored over 220 reviewed publications, having over 2,600 citations. He has a H-index of 30 and i10-index of 66. He has won nine 'Best Paper' awards at major international conferences and has supervised or co-supervised eleven PhD completions. He has been primary investigator / co-investigator on numerous completed and ongoing FP7, H2020, UKRI and other funded research and innovation projects, of combined value in excess of £4.0M, directly supporting the publication of multiple journal articles, international conference papers and numerous presentations at industry events.

He is 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 IEEE WFCS and IEEE ETFA. He is an associate editor for both the International Journal of Energies (Basel) and for the Frontiers in Energy Efficiency International Journal.

Michael has appeared in all forms of media, including television interviews, live radio interviews, magazine features and print/online news. In Novermber 2022 and December 2025 he was independently listed as one of the ten most influential people in the UK working within the Net Zero agenda. In November 2024, he was one of a small number of UK-based academics selected for the British Council GREAT tour of India.

Michael’s research interests encompass aspects of Control Engineering and Systems Informatics applied to the design and implementation of sustainable systems and processes.

Michael has consultancy experience, providing expertise to both public and private sectors, including companies of regional, national and international scope and the NHS. The expertise provided was in the area of industrial technology and AI/informatics, for a variety of applications including automated facilities management, automation & robotics, process equipment, marine and seaport systems, electrical equipment condition monitoring, smart energy systems and demand response.