Michael Dillon works primarily in Peru, where his research programs involve exploration, description and systematic studies of flowering plants. He collaborates with Peruvian scientists and students,collecting plants from a variety of environments, from the deserts of the Pacific coast to the rain forests of the Amazon River basin. The information his studies provide are vital in Peru's efforts to document their extraordinary biodiversity and conserve threatened habitats.

Michael Dillon was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and studied at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Texas at Austin.