The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm announced on October 5, 2026, that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine would be shared by Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg. The official citation states the prize was awarded "for optogenetics — a method that makes it possible to show how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviours in the living brain," according to the Karolinska Institute's announcement.
What the laureates discovered
In the early 2000s, Hegemann and Nagel identified channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein sitting on the surface of a single-celled alga. When struck by blue light, the protein opens a channel that lets charged ions flow into the cell, producing an electrical impulse, the Karolinska Institute's news release explains.
Deisseroth then turned that algal protein into a tool for neuroscience. According to the official Karolinska account and a Scientific American report on the award, Deisseroth inserted the channelrhodopsin gene into rat nerve cells and showed in 2005 that shining blue light on them could trigger a nerve signal. Two years later, in 2007, he demonstrated that the same light-controlled switch worked inside the brains of living mice, giving rise to the field now known as optogenetics.
Why the discovery matters
Optogenetics allows researchers to switch specific nerve cells on or off with pulses of light and observe the resulting effects on behavior in real time. Per Svenningsson, chair of the Nobel Committee, was quoted by the Karolinska Institute as saying the method "provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of."
Scientific American reported that scientists have used the technique to trace neural circuits linked to eating, sociability and aggression, and to study conditions including Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. The same report said the method has also helped reveal how specific brain circuits are disrupted, with implications for conditions such as blindness, depression, addiction and dementia.
The three laureates
2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureates| Laureate | Country | Institution | Key contribution |
|---|
| Peter Hegemann | Germany | Humboldt University of Berlin | Co-discovered channelrhodopsin in algae |
|---|
| Georg Nagel | Germany | University of Würzburg | Co-discovered channelrhodopsin in algae |
|---|
| Karl Deisseroth | United States | Stanford University / Howard Hughes Medical Institute | Converted the protein into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells |
|---|
The Boston Globe, which covered the announcement from Stockholm, reported that Deisseroth is 54, Hegemann is 71 and Nagel is 73, and that Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, reached all three laureates by phone to inform them of the award.
The prize itself
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine carries a cash award of 12 million Swedish kronor, roughly $1.2 million, to be split among the three laureates, according to the Boston Globe's report on the announcement.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is the first of the 2026 Nobel Prizes to be announced, with the physics, chemistry, literature and peace prizes following later in the week, according to the Boston Globe's report.
Questions
- Who won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine?
- Karl Deisseroth (Stanford University/Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US), Peter Hegemann (Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany) and Georg Nagel (University of Würzburg, Germany) shared the prize, according to the Karolinska Institute's announcement.
- What did they discover?
- Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein in algae; Deisseroth turned it into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells, creating the technique known as optogenetics, per the official Karolinska Institute release.
- What is optogenetics used for?
- Scientific American reports it lets researchers trace neural circuits behind behaviors like eating and aggression, and is used to study Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, while also helping reveal disrupted brain circuits linked to conditions such as blindness, depression, addiction and dementia.
- How much money comes with the 2026 Medicine Nobel?
- The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million, shared among the three laureates, according to the Boston Globe.
- When and where was the prize announced?
- The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute announced the award on October 5, 2026, in Stockholm, Sweden.
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
