The Nobel Assembly has announced that the 2026 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine will be awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel. The distinction recognizes their foundational work regarding light-gated ion channels and the development of optogenetics.
Announced on Monday, this award marks the first of the Nobel Prizes to be revealed this week. Laureates in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, and peace are scheduled to be named in the coming days, leading up to the final award on Friday.
Each recipient will receive a cash prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, a sum equivalent to slightly more than €1 million or $1.2 million. The medals and certificates will be presented during the annual ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10.
This year’s medical prize follows last year’s award, which was shared by American researchers Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, alongside Japanese scientist Shimun Sakaguchi. They were honored for their research into peripheral immune tolerance.
Deisseroth, Hegemann, and Nagel’s innovations have provided neuroscientists with precise tools to control nerve cell activity using light, revolutionizing the understanding of brain function and neurological disorders.
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