Laura Ferguson, a graduate student in Dr. Adron Harris’s lab, received a NRSA award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for her graduate project entitled “Molecular mechanisms underlying reduction of alcohol consumption by PPAR agonists”. This project investigates the mechanism of action of Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs), a class of nuclear hormone receptors that has been shown to decrease alcohol composition and might be effective in treating alcoholism. This information will help to develop insights into the genes and pathways that might contribute to the transition from recreational alcohol consumption to alcoholism and provide better treatment options for alcoholics.