2010 Auditory System Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): At "The Auditory System" Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar, scientists spanning all areas of auditory research will come together in a welcoming and interactive setting to discuss cutting-edge advances in auditory neuroscience. This is the second meeting of its kind and builds on the tremendous success of the inaugural Auditory System GRC/GRS in 2008. This series of meetings was created in response to the growing need for auditory scientists to look outside of their own areas of expertise and consider the auditory system as a whole. The specific objectives are to foster interdisciplinary interactions, promote a sense of community among auditory researchers, and encourage trainees to devote their careers to hearing research. Deafness affects millions of Americans, with many more experiencing auditory processing disorders that are associated with learning disabilities, autism, and schizophrenia. A concerted effort by a united community of scientists to understand the development and function of the auditory system will improve the diagnosis and treatment of this wide array of hearing disorders. The central goal of The Auditory System GRC is to share the newest findings that explain how acoustic information is detected and processed as it flows through circuits from the cochlea to the cortex and back. Speakers will include top investigators representing all areas of hearing research, including both influential established researchers and promising young scientists applying new techniques and approaches. The GRC will take place from June 13-18 at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH, a rural yet accessible site that is ideal for encouraging intense and invigorating discussions in a collegial atmosphere. Over the course of nine sessions, hearing will be discussed at the level of the gene, the cell, the circuit, and cognition, with special sessions on human deafness and the development of new therapies. In addition to the invited speakers and short talks selected from the abstracts, all participants are encouraged to share their results during highly interactive poster sessions each afternoon and following the evening sessions. This will also be ample opportunity for informal interactions in the free afternoons and at shared meals. The GRC will be immediately preceded by a 1 1/2 day long Gordon Research Seminar, which is a smaller gathering of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Several senior investigators will attend the GRS to provide advice and feedback, thereby nurturing the careers of future leaders in the field. These meetings will provide the perfect environment for participants to establish new collaborations and gain a fuller knowledge of how their own work relates to collective efforts to understand the sense of hearing. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Deafness and auditory processing disorders, such as tinnitus, affect millions of people. Scientists around the world use a wide variety of approaches to understand the different parts of the auditory system, such as the initial detection of sound in the ear or the final perception of sound by the brain. "The Auditory System" Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar will bring together the top investigators from these diverse areas of hearing research to share their latest findings in order to stimulate interdisciplinary interactions, promote a sense of community, and encourage young investigators to continue their efforts to understand the sense of hearing and the origins of human deafness.