Medicine Nobel Prize goes to research on brain activity
American Karl Deisseroth and Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel received the award for optogenetics research, which drove advances in neuroscience
TL;DR
- Karl Deisseroth (USA), Peter Hegemann (Germany), and Georg Nagel (Germany) awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
- Awarded for research on optogenetics, a method to control nerve cell activity with light.
- Their discoveries allow scientists to understand how nerve cells shape memories, emotions, and behaviors.
- Optogenetics has advanced neuroscience and may lead to treatments for conditions like Parkinson's and epilepsy.
- The research involves discovering light-sensitive proteins and applying them to control neural signals in animal models.
- The Nobel Prize ceremony will take place in Stockholm on December 10th, with a cash prize of approximately $1.2 million.