In brief
Three scientists – Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel – received the 2026 Nobel Prize for their pioneering work in optogenetics, a technique that lets scientists turn neurons on and off with light. Their research sheds light on how specific neural circuits generate memories, feelings and behaviours linked to psychiatric and neurological disorders. The Nobel Committee celebrated the trio’s foundation of a new era of neuroscience, calling their work pivotal to understanding the brain’s complex wiring. Clinically, optogenetics is already being explored as a method to restore vision in people with visual impairments.
US psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and his German colleagues Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in the field of optogenetics.
Their pioneering research has enabled scientists to control neuronal activity with light, revealing how discrete neural pathways give rise to memories, emotions and behaviours that underpin many psychiatric and neurological conditions.
The Nobel Committee praised the trio for laying the groundwork for a new era in neuroscience and for uncovering the neural circuits behind "specific memories, feelings and behaviours relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders".
In clinical practice, optogenetics is already being tested as a promising strategy to restore vision in patients with visual impairments, offering hope for treatments that once seemed impossible.
