Abstract
Auditory function depends on highly ordered structures and extremely precise connectivity. Understanding the ontogeny of these pathways represents a unique interdisciplinary challenge in auditory research. The field of auditory system development has expanded significantly over the past decades, when the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (SHAR) last dedicated a volume to this topic (Rubel et al., Development of the auditory system. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1998). Progress has been driven by new approaches and by interdisciplinary research at the molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral levels. This volume presents some of the most recent advances. It is written in celebration of the career of Dr. Edwin W Rubel, who has contributed a vast range of new discoveries in this area. Ed has not only pioneered this research, but he has also served as a dedicated colleague and mentor committed to cultivating future investigators. He has trained nearly 100 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and his research group and colleagues have established an exemplary culture of collaborative support. The authors of the chapters in this book present a tribute to Ed and to his positive influence on their research and their scientific careers.