Kim Handley

Associate Professor Kim Handley is a microbial ecologist at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, with a focus on groundwater and hot spring microbiology. She leads the Genomics Aotearoa metagenomics initiatives and serves on the Science Leadership Team.

• Education: PhD in Microbial Genomics (University of Manchester, 2008), Postdocs at UC Berkeley and University of Chicago
• Research Focus: Groundwater viral ecology, nitrogen cycling, ultra-small Patescibacteria/DPANN archaea, and anammox bacteria dynamics across oxygen gradients

Key Trends: Her 15 most recent articles (2015-2024) span groundwater viromics, marine sponge symbiosis, hot spring thermophiles, and hospital microbiomes. Common keywords include Microbial Ecosystems, Anammox Bacteria, Genome Streamlining, and Biogeochemical Cycling.

• Scientific Awards: 2014 Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (Royal Society of New Zealand/Te Apārangi)
• Supervision: Accredited PhD supervisor with expertise in metagenomics and aquifer ecology