2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine Honors Optogenetics Pioneers for Brain Control Breakthrough
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to activate or inhibit specific nerve cells in living brains using light. The prize, announced on October 5, 2026, recognizes their work in mapping neural circuits and understanding the biological basis of behaviors and disorders. The three laureates share a prize sum of 12 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.2 million).