The 14th International Conference on Brain Energy Metabolism (ICBEM): Energy substrates and microbiome govern brain bioenergetics and cognitive function with aging will be held in Hilton Head Island, SC, USA. The field of brain energy metabolism is advancing quickly, propelled by new findings and rapidly-developing neuroimaging, genetic, and biochemical tools that allow us to address novel aspects of brain energy metabolism at cellular and subcellular levels. Alterations in energy metabolism are a key underlying feature in aging, Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD). However, little is known regarding the causes, mechanisms, and interactions between poorly-understood yet critical aspects of energy metabolism. The goal of the 14th ICBEM is to bring together leading experts in these emerging techniques and researchers in basic/clinical neuroscience, physiology, cognition, and behavior who would not otherwise meet, and to serve as a driving force for cutting-edge discussions, formulation of incisive experiments, and for fostering collaborations to open novel areas of brain energy metabolism that underlie and contribute to AD and ADRD. This goal will be achieved by including a keynote talk on the hot topic of synaptic energetics that are linked to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer?s, disease and 10 scientific sessions on the topics related to memory, aging, AD and ADRD. Specifically, these sessions will address how brain bioenergetics govern brain function with aging; the impact of dietary intervention and microbiome on memory, aging and AD; mitochondrial regulation of sleep, synaptic function and memory; and metabolic imaging in aging and AD. A key concept is that energy metabolism is not just a permissive factor but a driver of changes in brain function associated with aging, Alzheimer?s and ADRD. Women comprise 86% of young investigator invited speakers, 32% of invited speakers and 35% of committee members. ICBEM brings together experts as well as students, postdocs and young investigators in a highly interactive forum with 33% of meeting time allocated for discussion. Such interaction has been proven to facilitate progress in this field of research and there are no other meetings of this nature that can facilitate this kind of interaction. Trainee presentations are key aspects of the meeting and are effective tools to help bring a new generation of scientists into our community and foster their maturation by inclusion as speakers (32% of invited speakers) and session co-chairs. Twenty students/postdocs will be awarded travel stipends based on competitive ranking of abstracts and geographic distribution. This conference will provide an outstanding venue for cross-disciplinary interactions, i.e., between basic neuroscientists, clinicians and neuroimaging scientists. Formal presentations and informal discussions are highlights of this unique conference series that fosters long-term scientific interactions to address emerging issues, resulting in the publication of a peer-reviewed special issue.