The striking diversity of cells in the nervous system has long inspired scientists to ask how the various cell types of the nervous system are generated, wired, and respond to each other to allow for the diverse and dynamic behaviors generated by the brain. Neuronal cell biology has been a cornerstone of Neuron since its inception in 1988 and was the focus of a previous special issue in 2003. Just as systems and cognitive neuroscience is flourishing with new technologies to manipulate and visualize neural circuits, molecular and cellular neuroscience is in a time of growth and rapid discovery. Neuroscientists now have technologies at the ready that allow for the ability to detect, quantify, and disrupt cellular and molecular processes with unprecedented temporal and spatial precision. The goal of this special issue is to showcase to the neuroscience community the latest discoveries and ideas in neuronal cell biology and spotlight the importance of understanding the cellular and molecular underpinnings of nervous system architecture and function. In addition, we also want to capture the attention of “traditional” cell biologists (from outside of neuroscience) and inspire them to think about the unique challenges the nervous system presents for cell biology and perhaps even get them to deploy their talents and expertise in this direction. Much in the way that chemists, physicists, and theoreticians have galvanized neuroscience over the last decade, we see great potential for the field in bringing more cell biologists and cell biological approaches into the neuroscience fold.

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