Dendrites are in many ways the workhorse of the brain. They receive and integrate thousands of synaptic inputs from other nerve cells. Although dendrites were discovered over a century ago, there has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in these remarkable and highly complex structures. This has led to exciting new discoveries on many aspects of dendrites, spurred by recent technical developments - including advances in imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular biology. 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 and intrinsic plasticity, and neuronal excitability. This Gordon Conference will crystallize the latest developments in dendritic research, from their morphology and development, through to their electrical and computational properties. The conference should be of interest to all researchers and students in neuroscience, as well as anyone who is interested in how the brain works.

Note, a two day Gordon Research Seminar on Dendrites will take place before this meeting and is open to all interested graduate students and early postdoctoral fellows.