European Iron Club Meeting- Dublin 18–20 June
(Draft Programme)
Scientific Innovation • Irish Heritage • Iron Through Time & Society
Hosted by
Prof Suzanne Cloonan,
Trinity College Dublin
Prof John Ryan,
RCSI, Dublin
Workshops, Heritage & Welcome
Thursday, June 18
09:00–14:00
Iron in Clinical Practice- from deficiency to overload
John Ryan, RCSI
This workshop will have a clinical focus, ie for healthcare professionals and researchers. Topics covered will include Haemochromatosis, as well as iron deficiency in cardiovascular, kidney and women’s health. There will be a patient representative from Ireland to give a testimony also.
14:00–15:00
Welcome for All Delegates
Registration · Coffee · Networking
Informal opening
15:00–16:00
Cultural Introduction
Speaker: Eibhlin Colgan, Guinness Archivist (Confirmed)
Talk: “Guinness Is Good for You: Iron, Advertising & Public Health in 1920s–30s Ireland”
A lively narrative linking Irish history, iron myths, and the intersection of science and public imagination.
16:00–17:00
Opening Keynote Lecture
Speaker: Prof. Dan Bradley, Trinity College Dublin (Confirmed)
Talk: “Iron in our Bloodline: Ancestral Hemochromatosis and the Iron Age Genome”
A compelling scientific keynote that connects ancient population genomics with modern iron phenotypes
17:00–18:00
Lightning Session: Iron at the Crossroads of Heritage & Biology
18:00
Welcome Reception
Venue: Business School Lobby
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Drinks, canapés, entertainment -Harpist
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Live Irish musicians
Full Scientific Day + Bloomsday Event
Friday, June 19
08:30–17:00
DAY 1 — THE HOST AS AN IRON LANDSCAPE
Scientific Symposia (Full Day)
Patient Perspective
08:15–08:30
Welcome & Opening Remarks
08:30-10.20
Iron Immunometabolism: Where Infection Meets Metabolism
The morning will open with a plenary lecture delivered by a distinguished expert in immunometabolism. The session will address how nutrient availability shapes immune cell function and inflammatory responses, with emphasis on metabolic regulation within the tissue microenvironment. This will be followed by the first Selected Oral Session (09:10–10:20), featuring short presentations highlighting recent advances across immunology and iron metabolism.
10:20–10:50
Coffee Break
10:50–12:30
Iron Homeostasis in Host Defence & Pathogen Restriction
This session will focus on the critical role of iron homeostasis in shaping host defence and pathogen restriction. The invited plenary lecture will examine the dynamic competition for iron that occurs during infection, highlighting mechanisms through which hosts limit microbial access to iron and how pathogens evolve strategies to overcome these defences.
This session will be followed by Selected Oral Session 2 (11:30–12:30), featuring short presentations that will provide focused insights into emerging research related to nutritional immunity, metal biology, and host–pathogen interactions.
12:30–14:00
Lunch & Posters
14:00-15:40
Iron Dependent Regulation of Mucosal Barriers
This session will examine how iron availability shapes barrier responses across major mucosal surfaces, including the gut, lung, and urogenital tract. These barrier tissues are frequent sites of chronic inflammation and infection, and growing evidence shows that iron‑regulated metabolic pathways influence both host defense and microbial persistence. Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, COPD, cystic fibrosis–associated airway infections, and recurrent urinary tract infections illustrate how disruptions in local iron handling can alter mucosal immunity, microbiome composition, and disease severity.
This session will be followed by Selected Oral Session 3 (14:40–15:40), featuring short presentations highlighting emerging research on mucosal iron biology. Topics will include the mapping of iron landscapes in barrier tissues, the role of microbiome‑derived iron‑related metabolites, and the consequences of iron dysregulation in chronic respiratory and gastrointestinal disease. Together, these talks will provide a broad, integrated perspective on how iron availability shapes immunity across diverse mucosal environments.
15:40–16:00
Coffee Break
16:00-17:00
Emerging Technologies: Mapping Iron in Space & Time
This plenary block will highlight cutting‑edge technological approaches that are transforming how iron biology is studied in humans and cellular systems. The session will open with new methodologies for tracing human iron kinetics using advanced stable‑isotope techniques, offering unprecedented insights into absorption, distribution, and turnover in vivo.
Subsequent talks will explore innovative high‑resolution platforms, potentially including single‑cell technologies, that enable researchers to map iron handling across diverse cell populations and tissue niches. The block will conclude with a presentation showcasing genome‑scale strategies to define cellular iron regulation, iron flux pathways, and mechanisms underlying resistance to ferroptosis. Together, these talks will provide a forward‑looking view of emerging tools that are reshaping our ability to interrogate iron biology with precision across spatial, temporal, and cellular dimensions.
17:00
Bloomsday Walking Tour (2h 45m) (Optional)
A special literary‑ experience: Dublin, Joyce, and the city’s history. Ends near pubs/restaurants for informal evening socialising.
Final Scientific Day + Gala Dinner
Saturday, June 20
07:00
Rusty Run (5 km, Dublin city route
08:30–17:00
DAY 2 - SYSTEMS‑LEVEL IRON BIOLOGY & TRANSLATION
Scientific Symposia (Full Day)
08:30–09:15
EIC Business Meeting
09:15–11:00
The Bone–Blood Axis: From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Disorders of Blood Formation
This plenary session will focus on the central role of bone and the bone marrow in coordinating iron use for blood cell production. The plenary talk will explore emerging concepts in iron dependent erythropoiesis, including how developing erythroid cells shape systemic iron demand, how the skeletal niche regulates iron trafficking, and how alterations in bone marrow iron availability contribute to anaemia, ineffective erythropoiesis, and broader clinical disorders. The session will highlight recent advances connecting iron handling to red cell maturation, marrow metabolism, and the communication networks linking bone, blood, and systemic physiology.
The plenary will be followed by Selected Oral Session 5 (09:10–10:20), featuring short presentations on iron in haematopoiesis and immune regulation. These talks will showcase new research on iron utilisation within the bone marrow, iron dependent control of blood and immune cell development, and the consequences of disrupted iron balance for haematological and inflammatory disease. Together, this block will offer a comprehensive view of how iron availability shapes the biology of bone, blood formation, and immune function.
11:00–11:30
Coffee Break
11:30–13:15
Organ‑Level Iron Dysregulation: Mechanisms of Chronic Disease
This plenary session will examine how iron dysregulation contributes to chronic disease across major organ systems, including the liver, lung, brain, and cardiovascular system. The presentation will highlight emerging insights into how altered iron handling drives tissue injury, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammatory pathology in long‑term disease states. Particular attention will be given to organ‑specific vulnerabilities, such as hepatic iron overload, iron‑mediated oxidative stress in the heart and lung, and disruptions in neural iron balance implicated in neurodegenerative conditions.
Following the plenary, Selected Oral Session 6 (11:30–12:30) will feature short presentations showcasing current advances in systemic and organ‑level iron pathology. Topics will include iron‑driven mechanisms in chronic liver disease, iron‑associated lung injury and repair pathways, and the impact of iron mismanagement on brain health and cognitive decline. Collectively, this block will offer a broad, integrated view of how iron contributes to chronic disorders across diverse non‑mucosal organs.
13:15–14:30
Lunch & Posters
14:00–16:30
Emerging Approaches to Modernising Iron Medicine
This plenary session will outline the emerging opportunities and developing technologies that may shape the future of iron‑related diagnostics and therapy. Rather than focusing on traditional approaches to iron overload and deficiency, the talk will highlight early‑stage innovations currently gaining traction in the field. These include exploratory therapeutic strategies that move beyond standard chelation, evolving efforts to refine iron‑imaging methods as potential biomarkers, and the first steps toward applying predictive modelling and digital‑health tools to better understand iron‑associated disease trajectories. While many of these concepts remain in development, they represent important directions for advancing iron research and improving patient care in the years ahead.
Following the plenary, Selected Oral Session 6 (14:40–15:40) will feature short presentations showcasing new ideas, methodological advances, and emerging translational approaches related to iron biology. Together, these talks will provide a forward‑looking view of where innovation in iron research may be heading, while acknowledging the complexity and ongoing evolution of the field.
16:15-16:45
CLOSING REMARKS
18:00
Gala Dinner
Venue: Trinity College Dublin Dining Hall
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Reception drink
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Three‑course dinner
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Early‑career researcher awards