14th International Copper Meeting 2026 - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The International Copper Meeting focuses on the latest advances in copper homeostasis and the broad array of cellular physiologies affected by dysregulation of this element. The impacts of this dysregulation have been uncovered by investigating the mechanisms underlying rare diseases and meticulous investigation in numerous model systems. This meeting has been established over the last 20+years as the key forum for advances in copper research that have had direct impact on transitional medicine related to nutritional and genetic deficiency and excess. As a redox-active transition metal copper functions as a catalytic cofactor within the active site of copper-dependent enzymes necessary for processes such as cellular proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, and antioxidant defense. Failures in copper homeostasis result in human disorders including, Wilson disease, Menkes disease, along with MEDNIK syndrome, ATP7A-related distal motor neuropathy, and Huppke-Brendel syndrome. Beyond hereditary disorders, fluctuations in copper levels have been linked to neurological disorders, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and associated metabolic syndromes, cancer initiation and progression, and host immunity against infection. There are three specific objectives for the 14th International Copper Meeting. The first objective is to disseminate and synthesize the most up-to-date knowledge and newest technologies surrounding mechanisms of copper acquisition, distribution, utilization, and elimination and therapeutic targeting of misbalances in copper homeostasis that contribute to human disease. To accomplish this goal, we have planned a series of keynote and plenary speakers from many of the leading experts in the field, multiple short talks selected from the poster abstracts, poster sessions, several focused workshops, and informal discussions. Since the challenges in this field are daunting and will require collaborative efforts to solve them, the second objective is to enhance interactions between academia, industry, and clinical science. We have intentionally invited speakers representing each of these topics and will provide times for structured engagement between invited speakers and trainees with discussion prompts for career trajectories in different disciplines and navigating productive collaborations. The third objective is to invest intellectually and financially in the future by supporting promising young trainees. The goal is to encourage trainees to be successful and stay in the field by providing intellectual support through discussions with senior scientists, poster sessions, opportunities to speak, awards that recognize their achievements, and by providing financial support with competitive travel awards. The expected outcomes are increased collaborations, promotion, and training of young scientists in the field, identification of new approaches for identifying and developing therapeutic targets and strategies to combat failures in copper homeostasis.
