Michael was a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Health & Biosecurity in Adelaide, with over 35 years of research experience in diet and health. His work focused particularly on the interactions between dietary components, such as fibres and proteins, and other food components like polyphenols, as well as their impacts on gut microbes, gut physiology, and overall health. This research was applied to a wide range of conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, allergies, and autism. His studies also explored treatment modalities such as probiotics, prebiotics, and faecal transplantation.