Alcoholism is among the top three causes of preventable death and disease in the US (Mokdad et al., 2004; Room et al., 2005). Stress plays an important role in the development of alcoholism and in high vulnerability to alcohol relapse. This study will provide a greater understanding of the mechanism by which stress and alcohol consumption interacts to influence development of compulsive alcohol seeking and vulnerability to stress-induced drinking, and the results will have significant implications for the development of new prevention and treatment interventions for alcoholism.