Planets Around Cool Stars: Origins and Properties
M-dwarfs are the most common stars in the Solar neighborhood and are probably the most typical planet hosts in the Galaxy. How and why do these planetary systems differ from those around Sun-like stars? In this talk I will report on two avenues that further our understanding of these systems: 1) Spitzer studies of protoplanetary disks around cool stars and brown dwarfs, including disk structure and mineralogy. 2) Novel high-contrast thermal infrared imaging surveys for giant planets around M-stars in the Solar neighborhood. I will discuss the emerging picture on planetary systems around cool stars and their habitability.