Third-year in health sciences, Alex Coyne has promoted inclusion in health care through her research. Courtesy of Alex Coyne

Alex Coyne aims to reform the health care system one step at a time.

Whether working as an undergraduate research assistant or as her pre-health sorority’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair, Coyne said her passion lies in lifting up marginalized individuals in the health care system, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

“I’ve always been very, very passionate about all things diversity, equity and inclusion,” Coyne, a third-year in health sciences, said. “I think the type of legacy I want to leave, or the type of impact I want to make in the future, is really just speaking up as a voice.”

Coyne, a member of the Hand Research Team — a group which focuses on improving health care for adults with autism — said part of her advocacy involves participating in research to solve health care inequalities. The group published a study Feb. 15 that found adults with IDDs are less likely to receive kidney transplants, despite having similar postoperative outcomes to patients without disabilities.

“Adults with IDD had 54 percent lower odds of being evaluated for a transplant,” Coyne said. “Among those who were evaluated, adults with IDD had 62 percent lower odds of actually receiving a kidney transplant.”

According to a 2020 study, autism spectrum disorder and kidney disease have overlaps in some genetic variants and susceptibility to environmental factors that cause diseases. However, the prevalence of these two together is unknown. 

Brittany Hand, assistant professor in the College of Medicine and the Hand Research Team’s principal investigator, said the Feb. 15 study’s results show laws —- such as the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act — preventing discrimination against people with disabilities who seek organ donations — are necessary for the healthcare system.

“This speaks to the need — or continuing the promotion of — anti-discrimination legislation at federal and state levels,” Hand said.

Coyne presented this research at the 2023 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum and received second place in the Public Health category, according to the forum’s website.

Coyne said her passion for inclusion and her journey to the Hand Research Team and the Denman Undergraduate Forum began long before Ohio State. Her childhood best friend’s brother — who Coyne did not wish to name — had Down syndrome and inspired her to learn more about IDDs.

“I basically grew up with her family,” Coyne said. “My first interaction with the disability community was through him.”

Coyne said although her friend’s brother died while Coyne was in high school, they continued to carry on his legacy and participated in Special Olympics and Miracle League — a baseball league for children and adults with disabilities.

“Being able to see all of these interactions, the community that Miracle League had, how happy the participants were just playing such a simple game of baseball is really what ignited this passion for me and showed me there’s a whole world out there that no one really looks at,” Coyne said. 

When arriving at Ohio State, Coyne expected to translate her passion into a career in occupational therapy, she said, but this changed.

“It wasn’t until I joined a pre-health sorority — it’s called Delta Omega Kappa — that I was able to see so many peers involved in research,” Coyne said. 

Taylor Killen, a third-year in health sciences and member of DOK, said the organization creates a supportive atmosphere in an otherwise competitive field.

“I didn’t grow up with anyone in my family knowing anything about medical majors or the steps on how to be in the healthcare field,” Killen said. “Having girls that never made me feel stupid for asking questions when I had no idea what was going on — it’s just such an amazing thing.”

After working as a research intern at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Coyne said she saw a poster for the Hand Research Team, and “the rest is history.”

“[Research] is honestly so addicting,” Coyne said. “Because you get involved in the research,  and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is great.’ You’re making a change, especially in something you’re so passionate about. And it’s hard to look back.”

Hand said Coyne’s ability to analyze and question information has been valuable to the team.

“The science that we’re doing and the papers and things that we’re putting out are better for it as a result of having students like Alex, who are willing to ask those questions and engage with the content, and we can all challenge each other to make the research better,” Hand said.

Coyne said she hopes the research can translate into tangible changes in the health care system. 

“It’s important, I think, especially going into [occupational therapy] to share this type of love with the world, through this type of research, to show the world that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve to be an active part of society just as much as anyone else,” Coyne said.