Unlike most students, Randi Alt must carry a remote control at all times.
When she attends a football game, security has to stop her. Once she explains that it operates her Omnipod, a small device that controls insulin levels, they give her a medical tag and wave her inside.
Situations like this are common for students like Alt who have Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin to control blood-sugar levels. When diagnosed in the eighth grade, Alt, a 19-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology sophomore, had to adjust her lifestyle.
“I was forced to understand how my body worked,” she said, “and now I appreciate it.”
Alt met other students who also understood how to navigate the daily struggles with the disease through a two-credit UF course on Type 1 diabetes research.
The seminar-style course, which has been taught for three years, is only offered in Spring. So far, 17 students have signed up for next semester’s class, said Ashby Walker, the director for Health Equity Initiatives at UF Diabetes Institute.
The institute hopes to expand the class to other universities, including Stanford.
The course is open to students from all majors with a personal connection to diabetes, Walker said. The class teaches basic research methods, provides access to key research and introduces them to professionals in the field.
“I want to inspire the next generation of researchers, so they can love and value the process of research,” Walker said. “Research can change the world.”
Alt said because of the class, she and her classmates were able to bond over things like sneaking juice boxes into Walt Disney World. Months after she finished the course, Alt and her classmates still have their class group chat where they send tips or resources to each other.
“I was really surprised at the lack of access to insulin,” Alt said.
The course was designed to provide a supportive community for students to bond over their similar experiences with diabetes, Walker said.
“I want students at UF to know that they’re surrounded by a caring faculty dedicated to improving the lives of its people,” Walker said.
During one of the classes, Desmond Schatz, a UF pediatrics professor, spoke about his real-life experiences getting into research about diabetes.
“It’s inspiring to see people who are so passionate and want to know more about diabetes,” Schatz said.
Contact Alyssa Ramos at aramos@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @LysKRamos
Dr. Mark Atkinson, director of the UF Diabetes Institute and a leading Type 1 diabetes researcher, and his wife, Carol Atkinson, address the directed research diabetes class during the Spring semester.
