Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 awarded to 3 scientists for work on optogenetics

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, the Nobel Prize committee announced on Monday.

The three scientists were recognised for pioneering work that enabled researchers to control the activity of specific cells using light. (X/@NobelPrize)The three scientists were recognised for pioneering work that enabled researchers to control the activity of specific cells using light. Their discoveries have transformed neuroscience and opened new avenues for studying how the brain and nervous system function.

“Optogenetics makes it possible to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain. This method is now being used in laboratories around the world to reveal the brain’s mysteries”, the the Nobel Assembly said.

Deisseroth, a 54-year-old American, Hegemann, a 71-year-old German, and Nagel, a 73-year-old German, were selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute medical university and receive a prize sum amounting to 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), which is shared if there are multiple winners, Reuters reported.

Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a protein with unique properties. They found that, regardless of which type of cell the protein was introduced into, the cells became sensitive to light.

Deisseroth later introduced the gene for channelrhodopsin into nerve cells from rats. By illuminating the cells with blue light, he was able to trigger a nerve signal. He subsequently demonstrated that this light-controlled switch could be used to control nerve cells in the brains of living mice.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 was awarded jointly to Mary E. Brunkow, Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance"

The peripheral immune tolerance is a way the body helps keep the immune system from attacking its own tissues instead of foreign invaders.

"Their discoveries have laid the foundation for a new field of research and spurred the development of new treatments, for example for cancer and autoimmune diseases," the committee behind the Nobel Prize had said.

The laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine are selected by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, the Nobel Foundation said.

The Nobel Assembly has 50 voting members and comprises professors in medical subjects at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Its working body is the Nobel Committee, whose members are elected from among the Assembly for a three-year term.

Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, focusing on delivering updates quickly and clearly so readers can make sense of what’s happening as it unfolds. Comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, she regularly contributes to live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she likes exploring different art forms and unwinds with music. With over three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read More