ISTERH-16: Toxicology and Trace Elements: The Intersection of Health and Disease

The 16th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Trace Element Research in Humans (ISTERH-16) will take place in the World Trade Center Events Center in São Paulo, Brazil, June 3-6, 2026. The title of this conference is ISTERH-16: Toxicology and Trace Elements: The Intersection of Health and Disease; highlighting integration of the central theme of trace element and toxicology research at the intersection of health and disease outcomes. In addition, ISTERH is partnering with the Brazilian Congress of Toxicology (CBTox) and the International Society for Zinc Biology (ISZB) to expand the interdisciplinary interactions among international researchers working within this research theme. This partnership is anchored in the success of ISTERH-14 in Aachen, Germany with ISZB and expands participation with researchers with complementary interests in CBTox. The overall objective of the conference is to bring together global experts from academia, medical institutions, industry, government, and non-government organizations to assess research advances, to identify knowledge gaps, and to define future research and regulatory needs in areas related to trace element research. ISTERH- 16 will build upon the most recent ISTERH meetings in Murcia, Spain (2024), Aachen, Germany (2022), and Bali, Indonesia (2019) including expanding participation with researchers in South America. São Paulo is a central location in Brazil with major transportation and hotel networks to accommodate international participants and provides a unique setting to strengthen collaborative networks and strategic partnerships. 150-180 ISTERH members are expected from all continents to attend and present their research in 14 symposia (including a trainee focused symposium), 3 plenary sessions, and 3 poster sessions. Symposia will cover scientific topics within the conference theme including transport and metabolism of trace elements, trace element nutritional health considerations in children, epidemiological approaches for study of metal-induced toxicities, mitochondrial mechanisms of metal toxicity, mechanisms of metal carcinogenesis, environmental biomonitoring of trace elements, among other topics. Furthermore, ISTERH participants will be joined with colleagues from CBTox (~500 researchers expected) and ISZB (~150 researchers expected), expanding reach and impact of ISTERH- 16 through co-hosting of joint plenary and poster sessions and parallel symposia. Dr. Jennifer Freeman, ISTERH President and Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, has been working closely with ISTERH leadership and Scientific Program Committee members, along with leadership from CBTox and ISZB towards conference planning and logistics. Funding is needed to support travel of early career investigators and trainees, along with symposium chairs and speakers. The purpose of this support is to provide travel assistance to ISTERH researchers at US-based institutions to attend, share their research, and interact with international colleagues. Meeting proceedings will be featured in a special issue of the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. Project Number: 1R13ES038762-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) | Principal Investigator: Jennifer Freeman | Institution: PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | Award Amount: $10,000 | Activity Code: R13 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 SCIL-T (80)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11390869