Who is Karl Deisseroth?
In short
Karl Deisseroth is an American scientist and physician who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He is currently in the news following his announcement as a Nobel laureate for his pioneering work in optogenetics.
Who they are now
He serves as the D.H. Chen Foundation Professor of Bioengineering and a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University. He is also a co-founder and Scientific Advisory Board member of MapLight Therapeutics.
Why they are in the news
People are searching for him because he recently won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and video footage has emerged showing him sharing the news with his family.
An example of their work
He developed optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control specific nerve cells to study brain function. He also created hydrogel-tissue chemistry technologies such as CLARITY and STARmap.