Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel, Karl Deisseroth won Nobel ‘reveal inner workings of the brain’
Trio honoured for optogenetics discoveries that revealed how neural circuits control memories, feelings and behaviour
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Nobel Committee on Monday announced the prize in medicine are the German neurologists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel and their US colleague Karl Deisseroth have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Committee said in a press release that the trio was given the Nobel Prize in 2026 for revealing the inner workings of the brain through a method known as optogenetics.
They lauded their findings on how the brain works, saying they have laid the foundation for a new era in neuroscience.
The trio has revealed how to switch neural circuits on and off in ways that affect “specific memories, feelings, and behaviours relevant to neurological and psychiatric disorders”.
Their findings are being used by researchers to try to restore eyesight in visually impaired persons.
“Optogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the brain,” the Nobel Assembly said. “Every day brings new discoveries, helping to solve one of humanity’s great mysteries: how our incredible brain works.”
Per Svenningsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine “Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of,”.
According to the Nobel Committee, three researchers used light to switch individual neural circuits on or off in the brain.
“They can bring memories to life, create feelings, drive behaviours and study the types of neurons that are involved in various psychiatric and neurological disorders,” Per Svenningsson added.
