Han et al. integrated data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) with data from a human protein interaction network and identified a network of 39 genes that are associated with alcohol dependence. These genes are involved in processes that are relevant to underlying risk for alcohol dependence and are specific for this disorder, as they were not found to be significantly associated with three other complex human disorders. The unbiased nature of this approach and the focus on biological function at the protein level provide advantages over traditional pathway analysis methods.