The 2012 Auditory System Gordon Research Conference (GRC) will explore a set of interconnected themes that address how this system first emerges, how it is shaped by experience, and ultimately represents a complex acoustic environment. The conference will bring together a diverse group of scientists who will share their most recent findings, from the molecular mechanisms of hair cell transduction to auditory perception. Some of the specific sessions include the maturation of function, pe**heral and central filtering, noise exposure & deprivation, multisensory integration, encoding and decoding acoustic signals, repair & plasticity, and vocal communication. In addition to the invited speakers, several short talks will be selected from amongst the submitted abstracts. All participants will also be able to share their results during highly interactive poster sessions each afternoon and following the evening sessions.
    The conference will take place in a rural and collegial setting, with a schedule designed to stimulate facilitate discussion, both during and after the formal presentations. There will be ample opportunity for **rmal conversations and brainstorming sessions during the free afternoons and at shared meals. All attendees, including invited speakers, are urged to stay for the duration of the meeting. Junior investigators are also invited to gather for a smaller Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) preceding the GRC, where ~40 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will exchange ideas with each other and with a small number of senior investigators who will be available for scientific feedback and career advice. Together, the Auditory System GRC and GRS will provide a superb environment for participants to establish new collaborations and learn how their own work intersects with contemporary research in the hearing sciences.