Hair cells in the inner ear are responsible for the detection of sound, its transduction to synaptic signals and their transmission to auditory primary neurons, which then feed this information to the auditory circuits in the brain. We are exploring the roles that glial cells associated with hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons play to define their contributions to hearing and deafness. In my seminar I we discuss our recent findings regarding the roles that inner ear glia play in the formation, maintenance and regeneration of hair cells synapses, the regenerative potential of supporting cells and the effects of demyelination on hearing. Our studies thus provide insights into basic mechanisms of neurons-glia interactions, inner ear development and function, cell regeneration and demyelinating disorders.