Affiliation: Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Dr. Kevin Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Microbiology at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He also serves as the programme leader in Microbiology, with a primary research focus on microbial communities and genetics, utilising molecular and bioinformatic techniques. Dr. Lee's research portfolio encompasses diverse microbial ecology studies, with a specific emphasis on the distribution and diversity of microorganisms across multiple ecosystems such as geothermal sites, deserts, polar regions, the atmosphere, and marine animals, including the elusive colossal squid. His work has contributed towards the search for extraterrestrial life, through the investigation of analogous environments on Earth, including the hyper-arid Atacama Desert. Prior to joining AUT, Dr. Lee completed his PhD from the University of Waikato, in which he characterised the genomic, physiological, and ecological properties of the first isolate within the then newly discovered bacterial phylum Armatimonadetes, at the Extremophile Research Laboratory at GNS Science, Wairakei.