Dr. Michael H. Forde
#342,675 Most Popular
About
Public health expert, author, digital educator, and content creator known for his viral social media storytelling about Black health history, health equity, and medical disparities. He is especially known for his educational video series on Instagram and YouTube where he shares lesser-known historical and public health stories as well as for his motivational book Success Begins From Where You Are!
Before fame
He demonstrated academic acceleration early in life by graduating high school when he was 16 years old, earning his bachelor's degree the time he was 19 years old, and completing a master's degree by the time he was 22 years old. He pursued advanced training in public health and later earned doctoral-level credentials and focusing on health equity and health communication. He then worked in federal public health including serving as a health communications specialist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Trivia
He was named to Black Health Connect's 40 Under 40 in 2025. He is a Gates Millennium Scholar. He announced his selection as a Modern Healthcare 40 Under 40 honoree in February 2026. He was part of the NIAID Inquiry Response Team during the COVID-19 pandemic. He began sharing content on Instagram in 2020 and on YouTube in 2024.
Family life
He was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in North Carolina. He comes from a Caribbean background with a father from St. Lucia and a mother from Dominica.
Associated with
He worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic under the leadership of Anthony Fauci.
