Three Researchers Awarded 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Their Pioneering Contributions to Optogenetics
Optica congratulates Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, congratulates Karl Deisseroth (Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA), Peter Hegemann (Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany), and Georg Nagel (University of Würzburg, Germany), who were today awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They share the prize equally “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.”
The prize recognizes one of the most impactful applications of light in the life sciences. This work established and developed the use of light-sensitive proteins to control the activity of specific cells with light. Hegemann and Nagel’s foundational studies of channelrhodopsins helped establish these proteins as light-gated ion channels, while Deisseroth and collaborators subsequently developed their use for precise optical control of neurons. Researchers worldwide now use optogenetics to trace the neural circuits behind memories, emotions and behaviors. Clinical researchers are currently using the method to attempt to restore sight to those with visual impairment.
“The impact of the research of Drs. Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel that is recognized with today’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been absolutely transformative,” said Gisele Bennett, 2026 Optica President and founding and managing member of MEPSS LLC. “Optogenetics gives researchers the ability to control selected neural circuits with light with high spatial and temporal precision, providing a powerful way to establish links between neural activity, behavior and disease. This work has truly opened a new era in the field of neuroscience. We congratulate these researchers for their well-deserved recognition, and we celebrate what their work means for the entire optics and photonics community.”
Karl Deisseroth received his PhD in 1998 and his MD in 2000 from Stanford University, USA. He is the D.H. Chen Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA. Deisseroth’s work showed that light-sensitive proteins such as channelrhodopsins could be used to control the activity of genetically defined neurons with millisecond precision.
Peter Hegemann received his Ph.D in 1984 at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany. He is the Hertie Senior Professor of Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. The prize-awarded discoveries were conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany. Hegemann’s studies of how microorganisms respond to light helped uncover the biological function of channelrhodopsins, the light-gated ion channels that became central to optogenetics.
Georg Nagel received his Ph.D. in 1988 at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics – Botany I, University of Würzburg, Germany. The prize-awarded discoveries were conducted at Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany. Nagel’s research demonstrated that channelrhodopsins function as light-gated ion channels and showed that they could make other cells responsive to light.
Select Relevant Papers Available from Optica Publishing Group
The Nobel Laureates have published papers with Optica. A selection of their papers related to their work recognized by the Nobel Prize is included below:
Karl Deisseroth:
Segev, Eran; Moreaux, Laurent C.; Reimer, Jacob; Fowler, Trevor M.; Chi, Derrick; Sacher, Wesley D.; Lo, Maisie; Deisseroth, Karl; Tolias, Andreas S.; Faraon, Andrei; Roukes, Michael L. Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics 2016, Paper# JTh4B.2
Yang, Samuel J.; Allen, William E.; Kauvar, Isaac; Andalman, Aaron S.; Young, Noah P.; Kim, Christina K.; Marshel, James H.; Wetzstein, Gordon; & Deisseroth, Karl. Optics Express, 23(25), 32573–32581 (2015).
Wave optics theory and 3-D deconvolution for the light field microscope
Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Yang, Samuel; Cohen, Noy; Andalman, Aaron; Deisseroth, Karl; Levoy, Marc. Optics Express 21(21) 25418–25439 (2013).
Enhancing the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding
Cohen, Noy; Yang, Samuel; Andalman, Aaron; Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Deisseroth, Karl; Horowitz, Mark; Levoy, Marc. Optics Express 22(20) 24817-24839 (2014).
Yang, Samuel J.; Allen, William E.; Kauvar, Isaac; Andalman, Aaron S.; Young, Noah P.; Kim, Christina K.; Marshel, James H.; Wetzstein, Gordon; Deisseroth, Karl. Imaging and Applied Optics 2016, Paper CW5D.6
Multifocal panoptic recording of cross-cortical neuronal dynamics in behaving mice
Kauvar, Isaac V.; Machado, Timothy A.; Yuen, Elle; Kochalka, John; Allen, William E.; Raja, Cephra; Pichamoorthy, Nandini; Wetzstein, Gordon; Deisseroth, Karl. Biophotonics Congress: Optics in the Life Sciences Congress 2019 (BODA,BRAIN,NTM,OMA,OMP), Paper JW3B.2
Peter Hegemann:
Picosecond Measurements on Halorhodopsin of Halobacterium Halobium
Polland, H.-J.; Franz, M. A.; Zinth, W.; Kaiser, W.; Hegemann, P.; Oesterhelt, D. International Quantum Electronics Conference, Paper# MAA4
About Optica
Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the Society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica’s renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org
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