US-German trio win medicine Nobel for work on optogenetics

The Nobel Medicine Prize was awarded to a US psychiatrist and neurologist, Karl Deisseroth, alongside his German colleagues Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel on Monday. The trio's groundbreaking work in the field of optogenetics has allowed researchers to better understand how specific cell types contribute to behaviors such as learning, fear, addiction, and movement.

This technique may eventually lead to treatments for neurological and sensory disorders like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. By using optogenetics, scientists can now reveal neural circuits governing specific memories, feelings, and behaviors associated with neurological and psychiatric conditions. Optogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the brain, with new discoveries emerging daily.

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute will present the laureates with a diploma, a gold medal, and a US$1.2 million cheque during a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10.