The major goal of the proposed Gordon Research Conference is to bring together world-leading auditory scientists and students who investigate current key issues in the mammalian auditory system. More than any other sensory system, the auditory system is characterized by a high complexity of parallel upstream and downstream pathways. To understand the biological basis of sound perception, one must study not only the function of a particular auditory circuit but also how it interacts with and is influenced by higher or lower stations in the auditory pathway. Therefore, strong emphasis is given to cover the auditory system as a whole, from the cochlea to prefrontal cortex and from genetic/molecular mechanisms of cochlear development and function to language and learning disabilities. The informal setting at Gordon Research Conferences will allow researchers who work on different aspects of the auditory system to engage in extensive interactions with the hope to foster the formulation of new concepts and the identification of central issues that need to be addressed in the coming years. The multi-level and interdisciplinary composition of speakers will greatly support new collaborations that go beyond the mere broadening of methods and that otherwise would have not emerged.