About the book

This is a graphic medicine book, described by the authors as a collaboration between the visual narrative of graphic design and somewhat stricter medical knowledge. Serving as a powerful medium, it tells stories and life experiences in images that are able to capture more than the scene: emotions, restrictions and more. IT'S A JOURNEY explores the lives of gender diverse individuals: values, learnings, perceptions and status-quo knowledge that shapes their experiences with endometriosis. The book perfectly assembles together a storyline with captivating graphics, as well as crucial information and medical suppositions for readers to fully grasp the discourse on endometriosis, and the real-life impact medical research gaps can have.

About the authors

ASIEL graduated from the International School of Comics in Italy with specialisations in both Comics (2019) and Scriptwriting (2020). She is also the founder of Spaghetti Publishing (2020), for which she creates or collaborates on many books as a scriptwriter, illustrator, and main editor. In 2020 she won her first prize for the “Tomorrow People” contest with her comic. Since 2023, she has been working with schools, companies, and national andinternational organisations to publish books and illustrate projects  for education and awareness in many social subjects, including but not limited to: environment, lgbtqia+ rights, accessibility, and different cultures. In her spare time, ASIEL returned to her alma mater and became a teacher at the International School of Comics.

Maddalena Giacomozzi is a queer medical doctor, PhD candidate, and LGBT+ health advocate. With a background in international medicine and global health, they have dedicated their career to advancing sexual and reproductive health justice for marginalised communities. Their clinical work focuses on endometriosis and sexology, while their PhD research explores endometriosis among transgender and gender-diverse individuals. By integrating intersectionality and embodiment theories, their cross-disciplinary research challenges normative frameworks beyond the biomedical paradigm. 
Since 2021, they are the co-founder and president of the Treat it Queer Foundation, where
they have led numerous projects aimed at promoting inclusivity and diversity within the healthcare
profession. Through the Foundation they regularly deliver lectures and workshops on gender
diversity in healthcare to both medical students and specialists.

This event is organized by the Centre for Social Science and Global Health.