# Nobel Prize 2026 Medicine Winners

> German and US scientists win Nobel Prize for brain activity research.
- Title: Nobel Prize 2026 Medicine Winners · Dw | Shortify
- Summary: German and US scientists win Nobel Prize for brain activity research. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine for…
- Keywords: karl deisseroth, peter hegemann, georg nagel, optogenetics, light-gated ion channels, neuroscience, nobel prize 2026, brain activity, news, world, politics, Nobel
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/german-and-us-scientists-win-nobel-prize-in-medicine-for-research-on-brain-activity/a-79544130?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
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- Topics: karl deisseroth, peter hegemann, georg nagel, optogenetics, light-gated ion channels, neuroscience, nobel prize 2026, brain activity, news, world, politics
## Nobel Prize 2026 Announced
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine 2026 has gone to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel.
## Optogenetics Breakthrough
They won for discoveries on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, which uses optics and genetics to noninvasively stimulate neurons.
## Brain Understanding Impact
The Nobel Assembly said optogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the brain by revealing neural circuits for specific memories, feelings, and behaviors.
## Clinical Applications
Researchers use optogenetics to restore sight in visual impairment and treat neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.
## Winners Background
Hegemann is a neuroscience professor at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. Nagel is a neurophysiology professor at University of Würzburg, Germany. Deisseroth is a Stanford University bioengineering and psychiatry professor.
## Research Process
Hegemann explored how green algae swim toward light. He and Nagel discovered a light-sensitive protein. Deisseroth created light-controlled nerve cell switches in mice.
## Key takeaway

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine for light-gated ion channels and optogenetics breakthroughs.