Go behind the scenes with Kelvin Lartey ’27 as he spends the summer at the University of Pittsburgh using quantitative methods to study viral pathogens. 

F&M quickly felt like home for Lartey, a house adviser and member of multiple organizations, including the Black Student Union, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, National Society of Black Engineers, and chess and tennis clubs.

The rising junior has contributed to a NATO-funded land-mine detection project led by Tim Bechtel, director of F&M science outreach and senior teaching professor of geosciences. 

Below, get a glimpse of Lartey’s summer in Pennsylvania’s Steel City. 

Kelvin Lartey ’27

• Majors: Biology and data science
• Hometown: Irvington, N.J.

Walk us through your summer experience.

This summer, I have the opportunity to be part of the Training and Experimentation in Computational Biology Research Experience for Undergrads (TECBIO REU) in the University of Pittsburgh computational and systems biology department. 

I am working in Professor John Barton’s lab, which focuses on using quantitative methods to study viral pathogens. In particular, I am developing a mathematical model to better understand the dynamics of HIV latency reservoirs (a group of immune system cells in the body that are infected with HIV but not actively producing new virus particles).

My primary contributions include reviewing literature on HIV latency and computational math modeling, as well as integrating unexplored parameters such as clonal heterogeneity of uninfected T-cells into the model, and simulating the model using Python code. 

When I am not working on my research, my time is filled by grant writing and research proposals, learning about ethical practices in scientific research, and how to effectively communicate scientific content. I’ve also had the pleasure of mentoring high schoolers who are interested in computational biology, and working on the program’s ambassador committee to advocate for the importance of scientific research – two things near and dear to my heart.

I’ve also been able to network with graduate students, learn more about fellowships and the graduate school process, and spend time in Pittsburgh to figure out if it’s the city for my postgraduate future! 

"I've had the pleasure of mentoring high schoolers and advocating for the importance of scientific research – two things near and dear to my heart."

- Kelvin Lartey ’27

Why did you choose to attend F&M?

In short, community and research. Through my scholarship program (Cooperman Scholars), I knew F&M alumni in different stages of life who all spoke at length about the community. Despite their different backgrounds and class years, they all belonged to sections of campus that felt like home to them, and now feel like home to me (such as the Black Student Union and InterVarsity). 

The alumni all spoke about the ample amount of research experience they gained at F&M. I knew that the tactile and hands-on mentorship under a professor would not only help my resume, but also help me learn beyond the classroom. 

I also thought the campus was beautiful. It sounds like a cliche, but F&M had the most beautiful campus out of all the campuses I toured. It was small but beaming with life, the trees looked amazing, and it was autumn. That solidified my decision to attend. 

What sparked your interest in biology and data science?

I was originally considering biomedical engineering as a career path. After taking classes in computer science and molecular biology, I realized computational biology was for me. I was lucky enough to do computational research in the earth and environmental science and physics departments in my first year, which reaffirmed my love for bioinformatics. 

The professors at F&M are really amazing. I discovered this TECBIO REU program per the suggestion of one of my professors. Three professors helped me throughout the application process, and I am sure I would not have had this opportunity without their emotional and practical support. 

"The professors at F&M are really amazing... I would not have had this opportunity without their support."

- Kelvin Lartey '27