Dendrites are the highly complex neuronal structures that receive and integrate synaptic input from other cells. Although dendrites were discovered over a century ago, the past decade has seen a dramatic resurgence of interest in the function of these remarkable structures. This has been spurred by several new technical developments - including advances in imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular approaches - which have made the structure and function of dendrites relatively accessible. As a consequence, dendrites are now viewed as a field of study in and of themselves, and promise to unite and shed new light on disparate fields such as membrane trafficking, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal excitability. This Gordon Conference will crystallize the latest developments across the entire range of dendritic research, from their morphology and development, through to the electrical and computational properties of dendrites. The conference should be of interest to researchers and students in neuroscience, as well as to anyone who is interested in how the brain works.