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Who is Xavier Bonner? 'The Bachelorette' contestant's research focuses on building community among Black peers with HIV

Xavier Bonner does research on how HIV viruses infiltrate various bodily cells and works to foster a sense of connection among Black peers

CARRBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: The summer of love has arrived, and 'The Bachelorette' is heating things up. On June 26, the famous dating program will return for its 20th season, with Charity Lawson, a child and family therapist, as the resident bachelorette. The show has brought together 25 suitors from throughout the country to compete for a rose and fall in love with Lawson. Xavier Bonner, one potential suitor, brings intelligence and a dash of North Carolina charm.

Bachelor Nation has been waiting for the upcoming season of 'The Bachelorette' with bated breath, and it's only a matter of time before it airs. Sure, it won't be as thrilling as 'The Golden Bachelor,' but fans are eagerly anticipating Charity's season and are eager to learn more about Xavier.

Who is Xavier Bonner?

Xavier, 27, is a native of Carrboro but was born in Euclid, Ohio in August 1995. Chelsea Bonner is his younger sister. He is of African American descent and possesses American citizenship. He is a doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical and Biophysics at UNC-Chapel Hill. Furthermore, he's working on HIV research to “better understanding the genotypic and phenotypic determinants of macrophage tropism," according to The Graduate School.

According to his LinkedIn, he obtained his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta. From 2013 through 2018, Xavier attended Morehouse College for his undergraduate studies. He studied Physics and Computer Science, with a minor in Mathematics. He was a member of the Society of Physics Students, the Biophysical Society, the Morehouse College Rugby Club, the MBRS RISE Scholar, and the Amgen Scholar. Xavier went on to get a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill after finishing his undergraduate studies. He started at UNC in August 2018 and will graduate in May 2023. Xavier participated in a variety of extracurricular organizations and groups at UNC-Chapel Hill, just as he did at Morehouse.

He is a co-founder of the Society of Black Biomedical Students, and he told The Graduate School, "I want to build a bridge for Black students who want to be a consultant, venture capitalist, or pursue other opportunities that are inside the biotech sphere." Xavier has stated that community development is essential to him. He's held game nights, career panels, and other bonding events at NC institutions through the Society of Black Biomedical Students. "We tried to create a space for other Black graduate students in my program at UNC-Chapel Hill and beyond," he explained, "including at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and North Carolina Central University." He was also a member of the UNC Intramural Basketball Squad.

Xavier the researcher

Xavier has had a great career as a researcher who has made major contributions to academic and scientific organizations. He worked in the Boulanger laboratory, where he studied protein binding patterns in the MHC class-1 cytoplasmic domain. To investigate this topic, he used molecular biology and biochemistry techniques. He collaborated in Dr. Michael Snyder's lab on a study to test the accuracy of RNA-sequencing mapping tools. As for quality metrics, he focused on analyzing execution time and the accuracy of aligned readings. He took part in this fellowship program, where he listened to regular lectures on social issues and higher education.

This experience helped Xavier develop autonomous research strategies for his Mellon Mays project. Summer Research Program in Biophysics, UNC in Chapel Hill (May–July 2017). Xavier did research on protein-protein interactions and their response to mutations under the supervision of Dr. Brian Kuhlman. Rosetta, a computational technique, was used to mimic these interactions. Undergraduate Research Assistant (from September 2016 through December 2021) Xavier wanted to develop a diffraction grating to lower the zeroth order diffraction pattern while working with Dr. Jay Mathews at the University of Dayton under the supervision of Dr. Willie Rockward. For the project, he used Fourier Optics, Matlab, and clean room techniques.

Xavier worked as a Senior Fellow, helping to validate the scientific validity of life science startups and doing primary market analysis research. Xavier works with Dr. Ronald Swanstrom's laboratory to better understand the genotypic and phenotypic drivers of HIV-1 macrophage tropism. His study focuses on employing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cell infection experiments to investigate the interaction between the HIV-1 viral protein gp120 and the human receptor CD4. Throughout his academic career, Xavier has been involved in a number of research initiatives.

One prominent experiment investigated the genotypic and phenotypic factors of HIV-1 macrophage tropism. Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Xavier investigated the interaction of the HIV-1 viral protein gp120 with the human receptor CD4 and examined HIV-1 pseudoviruses recovered from HIV-1+ people.

Xavier dabbles between being a scientist and a gamer

In his leisure time, Xavier enjoys reading. Xavier also works out on a daily basis and lives a very healthy lifestyle. In addition, he enjoys traveling and discovering new locations. Science-fiction films grab his mind and occasionally inspire him. Xavier mentioned in an interview that he began fantasizing about directing a great team to find cures for big ailments.

Xavier has a limited Instagram presence, with only a handful of photographs shared since the beginning of 2019. He spent some of 2022 traveling, including visits to Mexico and Colombia. In the captions, he even flaunted his Spanish skills. He presently has a little more than 1000 followers on Instagram, but that number will undoubtedly grow as he debuts in 'The Bachelorette's Season 20. In addition to 'The Bachelorette 20', he listed 'scientist' and 'gamer' in his bio.

Xavier on 'The Bachelorette'

Xavier made it to Charity's final four, Reality Steve announced via Instagram on April 11. He first stated Tanner, but then corrected himself. He is one of four guys who share their hometowns with Charity.

Xavier is 6 feet, 6 inches tall, according to ABC. According to the network, he is "one tall glass of water." He likes to knit. He made his own computer to play video games on. Skydiving is his perfect first date.

Tune into ABC on June 26, to watch Xavier Bonner try to woo Charity Lawson in 'The Bachelorette' Season 20.