2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their groundbreaking work on light-controlled ion channels and optogenetics.

The Nobel Committee announced the three scientists as this year’s medicine laureates on Monday, recognizing discoveries that transformed researchers’ ability to control and study the activity of cells using light.

Optogenetics combines genetics and light-based techniques to switch specific cells on or off, giving scientists powerful new ways to investigate the brain, nervous system and other biological processes.

The work of Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel has had a major impact on neuroscience and biomedical research, helping scientists study how individual groups of cells influence behavior, disease and bodily functions.

The Nobel Prize announcement marks the beginning of the 2026 Nobel Prize week, with additional awards in other categories to follow.