Optogenetics laureate. Nagel co-received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for work turning brain activity on and off with light, advancing neuroscience worldwide.
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their discoveries in optogenetics, enabling neural control with light. The Karolinska Institute has announced this year’s award, with a shared prize of 12 million Swedish kronor.
The Nobel Assembly has honoured Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discovering optogenetics, a molecular switch that controls nerve cells with light. The award recognises a tool now used globally to map brain function and improve technologies like cochlear implants.