  In this brief review we summarize a number of recent developments in the
study of vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates, a topic of considerable
theoretical and experimental interest in the past few years. We examine the
generation of vortices by means of phase imprinting, as well as via dynamical
instabilities. Their stability is subsequently examined in the presence of
purely magnetic trapping, and in the combined presence of magnetic and optical
trapping. We then study pairs of vortices and their interactions, illustrating
a reduced description in terms of ordinary differential equations for the
vortex centers. In the realm of two vortices we also consider the existence of
stable dipole clusters for two-component condensates. Last but not least, we
discuss mesoscopic patterns formed by vortices, the so-called vortex lattices
and analyze some of their intriguing dynamical features. A number of
interesting future directions are highlighted.
