The Gordon Conference in Neural Development has become a key meeting in the larger field of neuroscience. From its inception in 1981, this biannual meeting has attracted superb speakers, excellent students, postdoctoral fellows, and a wide range of active scientists from junior faculty to senior leaders in the field. Sessions featured in this year's meeting include: neural stem cells, cell specification, neuronglial interactions, brain patterning, polarity, axon guidance, synaptogenesis, and development of neural circuits underlying behavior. Studies from both invertebrate and vertebrate model systems will be presented. A diverse range of speakers in terms of age, sex, race, and ethnicity will participate. About 30% of the speakers are women. We will continue the tradition started last meeting of reserving an entire section for late-breaking news. Several of the speakers work in areas of direct clinical relevance, including studies on stern cells, antidepressant mechanisms, axon growth, critical period plasticity, and neural circuits underlying behavior. The talks will be held in morning and evening sessions daily for 5 days. Speakers will be given about 40 minutes for their presentations, which includes a 15 minute discussion period. Afternoons will be open for informal interactions. Poster sessions will be scheduled for afternoons and will remain posted during the social periods following the evening presentations. A diverse group of participants will be selected. We will actively recruit minority students to attend the meeting and let them know that funds are available to support their attendence. Participants will be encouraged to present posters, which serves as an excellent training function, and further facilitates the interaction of students and postdoctoral fellows with faculty. To further stimulate the participation of students and fellows, we will ask that the first question after every talk be from a student or fellow rather than a faculty member. This mechanism helps to encourage participation by otherwise shy students. ? ? ?
