“Larry Parsons Travel Award 2026” to Paola Campo

Congratulations to Paola Campo on Receiving the Larry Parsons Travel Award!
We are delighted to congratulate Paola Campo, a graduate student in the lab, on receiving The Larry Parsons Travel Award in Alcohol and Addiction Research to attend the 49th Annual Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) Scientific Meeting, held in San Antonio, Texas, from June 20–24, 2026.
At the meeting, Paola presented the poster: “Genomic-Driven Discovery of P2X4 as a Therapeutic Target for Alcohol Use Disorder in Heterogeneous Stock Rats” by Paola Campo¹, Ran Qiao¹, Michelle R. Doyle¹˒², Daniel Munro¹, Benjamin J. Johnson¹, Abraham A. Palmer¹˒³, Marsida Kallupi¹, and Giordano de Guglielmo¹
This study used genetically diverse Heterogeneous Stock rats to identify P2rx4, encoding the P2X4 receptor, as a candidate gene associated with vulnerability to alcohol dependence. Pharmacological targeting of P2X4 with ivermectin reduced alcohol self-administration, particularly in animals with higher baseline intake, and altered inhibitory signaling in the central amygdala. These findings support P2X4 as a promising genetically informed therapeutic target for Alcohol Use Disorder.
Congratulations to Paola on this well-deserved award and excellent presentation at RSA 2026!