Why are the two sexes different? The simple answer is steroid hormones. Steroid hormones stimulate cell growth, sexual differentiation, and also trigger the expression of sex-typical behaviors. One of their most important targets is the brain. Until recently, it was thought that steroids exerted their effects directly on gene expression by binding to receptors in the cell nucleus. It has recently become clear that steroids act through nongenomic mechanisms as well. These recent findings may necessitate a "paradigm shift" in the way research into reproduction is conducted because it seems that the mechanisms of steroid action are much more complicated than previously thought. At large scientific meetings, practitioners of various disciplines tend to interact with each other and do not necessarily become exposed to fast breaking developments that, although relevant to their work, involve unfamiliar methods and expertise. The purpose of this conference is to bring molecular investigators together with behavioral neuroscientists to promote collaborations that can capitalize on recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism of steroid hormone action.
