Michael is a highly experienced and successful pharmaceutical industry veteran. He has worked on multiple drug development programs in big PHARMA as the team leader/team member that have led to global regulatory approvals. Within biotech he has been part of teams that have raised Series B and C rounds of financing (~$150MM), F-1/IPO submission, reverse merger and successful M&As. He has deep disease-specific and RNA therapeutics drug development expertise. He is currently supporting a number of Biotechnology companies and VCs in the role of scientific advisor and/or board director.

Michael is a partner at Claris Ventures a biotechnology venture capital fund based in Turin (Italy). Also, he is a member of the science advisory boards of Adjuvant Capital, Arcturus, Cerberus, Memo, MiNA, Ochre, RiboX and Tether Therapeutics. He is a non-executive (NED) Director of Telesis Bio (Gibson SOLA nucleic acid manufacture). He is also CEO of 1strand not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote R&D for San Diego County RNA therapeutics industry and to be a forum for continual education to highlight the positive impact of RNA medicines on public health.

Michael was previously the CMO of Amplyx Pharmaceuticals acquired by Pfizer, Inc. Prior to Amplyx he was the CMO and head of drug development for Santaris A/S, developing RNA targeting drug treatments for viral, cancer, metabolic/lipid and eye diseases. The company was acquired by Hoffman-La Roche, AG.

Michael has been a NED for the following biotechnology companies: F2G Ltd. antifungal 2010-14; Hybridize Therapeutics Kidney targeting RNA 2021-24; AbVacc ID vaccines and monoclonal antibodies 2021-24. He earned his M.D. (MBBS) and BSc. in Pharmacology, from the University of London, UK.