Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel Named 2026 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine

The American Physiological Society (APS) congratulates Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel; the 2026 recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This is the highest honor in modern science and recognizes their work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, a technique that uses tiny lights to activate neurons in the brain.

"Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of," Per Svenningsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee, wrote in a statement.

Deisseroth is the D.H. Chen Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University. He earned his PhD and MD in neuroscience from Stanford University.

Hegemann is Hertie Senior Professor of Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.

Nagel is a Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics - Botany I, University of Würzburg, Germany. He earned his PhD in biophysics at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.

"The American Physiological Society warmly congratulates Deisseroth, Hegemann, and Nagel on receiving the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. By harnessing light-gated ion channels, optogenetics has provided scientists with an unprecedented ability to dissect complex cellular and physiological mechanisms with exquisite spatial and temporal precision," says APS Publications Committee Chair Rory Morty, PhD. "APS takes immense pride in having served as a home for this revolutionary science-including publishing a landmark review by Hegemann and Nagel in Physiology-among more than 145 studies by other authors specifically advancing optogenetic applications across our publications portfolio."

APS CEO Erika Shugart, PhD, FAAAS, says this year's Nobel is a great example of the importance of foundational research. "No one could have anticipated that research on a protein in algae would lead to a deeper understanding of the physiology of the brain."

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.