Mike is a distinguished microbiologist, most recently awarded the 2021 International Association for Dental Research William J Giles Award for the best paper published in the Journal of Dental Research. His publication record has been underpinned by competitive research funding totaling ca. £10 million from awarding bodies including the MRC, the Welcome Trust and the National Institutes of Health. Amongst several other international accolades, Mike has served as President of the British Society for Dental Research (2007), was awarded Honorary Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FDSRCS, 2008) and Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci, 2009).