Lasker Award honors sleep researchers for breakthroughs in narcolepsy
Two leading sleep researchers have been awarded the prestigious Lasker Prize for their foundational work on narcolepsy. Dr. Emmanuel Mignot of Stanford University and Dr. Masashi Yanagisawa of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center were recognized for identifying the biological mechanisms behind the debilitating sleep disorder. Their research, which utilized animal models including dogs and mice, led to the discovery of orexin, a brain chemical critical for regulating wakefulness. This discovery has paved the way for new treatments that address the root cause of narcolepsy rather than just its symptoms.