The 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Cartilage Biology and Pathology will be the seventh in a series of highly successful multi-disciplinary conferences and it will be associated for the first time with a Gordon Research Seminar, a pre-meeting exclusively dedicated to and organized by trainees. Cartilage malformation and degeneration diseases affect the lifespan and quality of life of many humans from birth to senior age, but most remain poorly treatable and incurable. In order to help change this clinical reality, the 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Cartilage Biology and Pathology will focus on promoting translational research. It will bring together eminent clinicians-scientists, basic-science researchers, and biomedical engineers representing the whole spectrum of forefront disciplines in the field, including human genetics, developmental biology, molecular and cell biology, genomics and proteomics, cell and tissue engineering, and drug discovery. The collegial atmosphere of the Conference will incite attendees to work together to directly address the newest advances and remaining challenges towards fully understanding cartilage biology and pathology, and towards designing effective therapies for cartilage diseases. Exemplifying the Gordon Research Conference tradition, emphasis will be placed on forward thinking and unpublished cutting-edge findings. Formal presentations will alternate with poster sessions and informal gatherings to provide ample opportunities for mentoring, networking, and collaborations among investigators at all career stages and in all disciplines.