Press Release: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel. The laureates are recognized for their pioneering work in optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control nerve cells to better understand brain function.
Why it matters
This discovery provides a revolutionary tool for mapping the brain, potentially transforming our understanding of neurological conditions and human behavior.
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The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to:
KARL DEISSEROTH The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA
PETER HEGEMANN Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
GEORG NAGEL University of Würzburg, Germany
“for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 is awarded for optogenetics — a method that makes it possible to show how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviours in the living brain. Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel discovered a remarkable protein, channelrhodopsin, in a single-celled alga. Karl Deisseroth transformed the protein into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells. The laureates have laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience.
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