Kim Handley is a microbial ecologist and associate professor in environmental microbial genomics in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. She is the metagenomics project lead for Genomics Aotearoa. Her lab uses omics to understand microbial processes, such as nutrient cycling, within aquatic systems (e.g., rivers, estuaries, aquifers). Her group also researches the genetic adaptations that enable microbial colonisation of distinct environmental niches or extreme environments.