Michael is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Biology. As a reseacher, he is trying to elucidate the causes of biological diversity and biological complexity by researching the processes of natural selection and diversification in his lab. He started by studying these processes in simple biological systems, like a single species of bacteria, and he has progessively been studying systems that are increasingly more complex.
He is the research mentor for Will Soto, who, as an HHMI postdoc, is researching the diversification of luminescent bacteria outside of its squid host. Will has really benefited from Michael's expertise and experimental design while working in his lab.
Michael also participates in the HHMI research mentor program as a primary investigator. In 2012, undergraduate researchers Jessica Nguyen and Stephen Cross worked with mentor Will Radcliff in Michael's lab, researching natural selection in multicellular yeast.
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Associate Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
Biotechnology Institute