Michael has worked in HIV treatment research for 20+ years, engaging communities affected by HIV in Seattle and across the U.S. in clinical trials towards the treatment and potential cure of HIV for the University of Washington AIDS Clinical Trials Unit and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Network. He chaired the Outreach, Recruitment and Retention (ORR) Subcommittee of the ACTG for six years, leading the research network's first foray into social media. He joined the defeatHIV Martin Delaney Collaboratory as their Community Engagement Project Manager in 2013, focusing his efforts around cell and gene therapies for HIV cure. He has formerly worked as a high school English teacher, an actor, a director and producer of summer stock theater, and a baker of bread.  He helped to host the Reunion Project Seattle in 2017 and works to manifest more events for HIV long term survivors as a Steering Committee member for The Reunion Project, the national alliance of long-term survivors of HIV, collaborating with local and national HIV advocates, providers and researchers. Recently he joined the Global Gene Therapy Initiative, an alliance of key stakeholders including clinicians, scientists, engineers, advocates and community members brought together to enable access and implementation of cell & gene therapies as curative medicines for presently incurable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. He also serves as a Community Liaison for the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Washington / Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research.