This is a proposal to host a workshop at Brandeis University on the role for learning of the neuromodulator dopamine--a key player in the brain's reward system. The format is to be a "discussion meeting" for an invited group of about 25 researchers, most of whom are working to understand how the neuromodulator dopamine affects synaptic plasticity in the brain, and thus plays a role in learning. Much of this work is new and unpublished. Only recently have investigators begun to realize that the role of dopamine in learning may be fundamental, so this is the best moment to bring those researchers together to discuss the effects of dopamine and the conditions under which it is released. This small gathering of active researchers should lead to more collaboration, and thus ensure that this new field will advance as rapidly and efficiently as possible.
