It is with deep sadness that I share with you the news of the passing of Elena Shumay, a colleague and longtime NIAAA collaborator. Elena was a truly gifted investigator, who made seminal contributions to our understanding of how individual differences affect brain imaging phenotypes with the goal of translating that knowledge into useful clinical biomarkers. Unfortunately, we have lost far more than a brilliant scientist at the peak of her career, for Elena was an incredibly warm and courageous woman who has enriched the lives of all those who crossed paths with her, in countless ways.