The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel for their groundbreaking work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, as announced by the award-giving body in Stockholm on Monday.
Optogenetics has significantly revolutionized our comprehension of the brain, stated the committee on social media.
Through optogenetics, researchers have successfully unveiled the neural circuits that regulate specific memories, emotions, and behaviors relevant to neurological and psychiatric conditions, the committee highlighted. Moreover, in clinical applications, scientists are utilizing this technique to potentially restore vision in individuals with visual impairments.
The laureates, including 54-year-old American Deisseroth, 71-year-old German Hegemann, and 73-year-old German Nagel, expressed surprise upon learning about their prestigious win, mentioned Thomas Perlmann, a professor at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and a member of the Nobel committee for physiology and medicine.
The Nobel Prize carries a monetary award of 12 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.7 million Cdn).
The prizes for chemistry and physics will be granted on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, followed by literature on Thursday and the peace prize on Friday. The economics prize winner will be disclosed on October 12.
The Nobel Prize was established by Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur, who in his will directed that the majority of his fortune be allocated to fund awards honoring those who have made the most significant contributions to humanity in the past year.
Nobel, renowned for inventing dynamite, was also a poet and playwright, fluent in Russian, French, English, and German by the age of 17. The original five prize categories were chosen based on his personal interests closest to his heart.
Following Nobel’s death in 1896, the first awards bearing his name were presented five years later.
The Nobel laureates receive their prizes on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s passing.
