The three winning comics of the contest, in which the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit of the UV (UCC+i UV) collaborates, were “Fagocitos: mercenarios innatos”, from the University of Córdoba, with the first prize; “La depresión. Un monstruo silencioso”, from the Camilo José Cela University (second) and “El retorno del señor patógeno”, from the University of Valencia (third prize). In addition, seven more works have received a second prize consisting of a batch of comics provided by the SM-UV Foundation Comic Studies Chair: “Comida a la vista” (Autonomous University of Madrid), “En equilibrio y sincronía” (University of Alicante), “¿Endomequé? Endometriosis” (University of Castilla-La Mancha), “Misión contracción” (University ofMurcia), “BeaEATS. Regulación de la ingesta”, “El orgasmo femenino” y “Nuestros mejores aliados” (the last three from the European University of Madrid).

The contest has established that the theme of the comics had to deal with a physiological process, including aspects such as cellular physiology, systems or pathophysiological aspects. The objective of FisioCómic 2023 is to confront students with the challenge of communicating complex ideas using the language of graphic narrative. In this sense, comics are a crucial communication tool in the field of health, where citizens need rigorous but accessible information.

Carlos Romá, professor of Physiology, is the UV representative on the organising committee. Gloria Olaso, professor of Physiology, is also a member of the local committee of the institution. The jury is made up of Álvaro Pons, professor of Optics (UV); Mª Blanca Mayor, PhD in Translation from the University of Granada; Óscar Hernández, graduate in Medicine and Surgery, and doctor in Fine Arts from the Complutense University of Madrid; and Miriam Rivera, populariser specialised in comic format at Biomiics – Biology in Comics.

For the contest, each university has chosen among its students a maximum of 4 comics to submit to the contest, under the supervision of its local committee, and the comics have been submitted in groups of between 2 and 5 students. In addition to the cash prize, each winner will have the admission of a team member to the Spanish Society of Physiological Sciences who will be responsible for the membership fee for a period of 2 years, and the option of attending the congress of this society to present the FisioCómic.

FisioCómic 2023 is a project of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit of the University of Valencia that is co-funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECyT) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation, as well as the Spanish Society of Physiological Sciences.

FisioCómic website: https://ir.uv.es/PXAUVY5