Nobel prize in medicine 2026: unlocking the mysteries of the brain
Kicking off the 2026 Nobel prizes in is the award for physiology or medicine. This year the prize went to three scientists for their work investigating the mysteries of the brain. Karl Deisseroth of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, Peter Hegemann of the Humboldt University of Berlin and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg have been awarded the prize “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”. Science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay how this technique is already transforming neuroscience and how it could one day help restore sight, remove pain and tackle diseases like addiction and Alzheimer's
TL;DR
- 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to three scientists.
- The prize recognizes discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.
- Awardees are Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel.
- Optogenetics is a technique that is transforming neuroscience.
- Potential applications include restoring sight, alleviating pain, and treating addiction and Alzheimer's.