Using light to control brain cells – neuroscientist Karl Deisseroth explains how he made his Nobel-winning discovery

Optogenetics, a field that started with an algae gene, is shedding light on new treatments for eye and neuropsychiatric conditions.

By: Karl Deisseroth, Stanford University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 15, 2026

Words: 1,525

Last Updated: 1 day, 16 hours ago

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By Karl Deisseroth, Stanford University

The 2026 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine honored Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their work developing optogenetics – a technique that allows researchers to control the activity of neurons with light.

The Conversation Weekly podcast talked to Karl Deisseroth, a neuroscientist at Stanford University, about his journey developing optogenetics and its potential to treat a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions. What follows is …

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