Three scientists who developed light-based control of brain nerve cells win 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded to three scientists who discovered optogenetics and light-gated ion channels, both related to the nervous system.

The announcement, made on Monday, named American scientist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel as this year's laureates. Their work involved technology that uses light to control nerve cells in the brain.

Their research has helped scientists learn more about how the brain works. It has also been described as providing an important foundation for understanding how the human brain and mind function.