Optogenetics Explained: The Science Behind the 2026 Nobel Prize | Stanford Medicine

An explanation of optogenetics, a technique using light to control brain cells, which won the 2026 Nobel Prize.

Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, is a pioneer of optogenetics, a groundbreaking technique that uses light to control specific cells in the brain and has transformed scientists’ ability to study how the brain drives sensation, thought, decision-making and behavior. Over nearly two decades, Deisseroth and his team have helped develop and advance the field, identifying new light-sensitive proteins called opsins and uncovering how their structures allow researchers to precisely influence neural activity with light. Deisseroth, a Stanford professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was one of three scientists awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in optogenetics. Bioengineering is a department jointly run by the Schools of Medicine and Engineering. Learn more: stan.md/4yavQNG stan.md/4jdXmGj This video features: Robert Malenka, MD, PhD Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford Medicine Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD D. H. Chen Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Alan Schatzberg, MD Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Director, Stanford Mood Disorders Center Stanford Medicine Viviana Gradinaru, PhD Former graduate student and postdoctoral researcher in Karl Deisseroth’s lab Professor of Neuroscience and Biological Engineering California Institute of Technology . . . Photo by Christopher Michel #nobelprize #medicine #physiology #science #neuroscience #optogenetics Stanford Medicine advances human health through world-class biomedical research, education and patient care. Bringing together the resources of Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford Medicine is committed to training future leaders in biomedicine and translating the latest discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. The Stanford Medicine YouTube channel is a curated collection of contributions from our School of Medicine departments, divisions, students, and the community. Our diverse content includes coverage of events, presentations, lectures, and associated stories about the people of Stanford Medicine.