Nobel Week Opens With Medicine Prize for Pioneering Brain Research

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded Monday to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their research into how the brain switches the activity of individual nerve cells on and off, kicking off this year's Nobel Prize announcements in Stockholm.

The three scientists were recognised for their pioneering work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control the activity of nerve cells. The Nobel Assembly said the method is now being used in laboratories around the world to help reveal the mysteries of the brain.

Deisseroth, 54, is based at Stanford University in California, while Hegemann, 71, works at Humboldt University in Berlin and Nagel, 73, is at the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, said he was able to reach all three laureates by phone after the announcement at the Karolinska Institute.

Their work has helped scientists develop ways to observe and manipulate specific nerve cells, advancing research into the complex mechanisms underlying brain activity.

Last year's Nobel Medicine Prize was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance, which helped deepen understanding of how the immune system distinguishes harmful germs from the body's own tissues.

The Medicine award marks the beginning of Nobel Prize week. The Physics Prize will be announced on Tuesday, followed by Chemistry on Wednesday and Literature on Thursday. The Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, while the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced on October 12.

The 2026 Nobel Prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about USD 1.2 million, whether awarded to an individual, a small group of laureates or an organisation.