STOCKHOLM: American Karl Deisseroth and Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries involving light-controlled brain activity and optogenetics.
The Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet said the scientists were honoured for their “discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.”
Optogenetics allows researchers to switch individual nerve cells on or off using light, helping scientists study how the brain works.
The technology is also being explored in clinical trials, including efforts to restore vision in people with retinitis pigmentosa. Researchers are also studying its potential to improve cochlear implants.
The three scientists will share a prize of 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million).