The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to three scientists for their groundbreaking research into the cellular mechanisms that the brain uses to switch the activity of individual nerve cells on or off. Karl Deisseroth, 54, Peter Hegemann, 71, and Georg Nagel, 73, were recognized for their pioneering work concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The laureates conduct their academic research at universities located in both Germany and the United States. The Nobel committee praised their achievements in a statement on social media, noting that the methodology is currently utilized in scientific laboratories across the globe to help decode the deepest mysteries of the brain. According to the Nobel Assembly, Deisseroth is affiliated with Stanford University in California, while Hegemann performs his research at Humboldt University in Berlin, and Nagel is based at the University of Würzburg in Germany. Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the medicine committee, confirmed that he successfully reached all three winners by telephone on Monday morning. The prestigious award was officially announced at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, marking the official kickoff for this year’s Nobel Prize announcements. The financial award attached to the prize this year totals 12 million Swedish kronor, which translates to approximately $1.2 million, distributed regardless of whether the honor goes to an individual, a collaborative small group, or an organization. Last year’s prize was presented to three scientists who focused their studies on the human immune system. Monday’s announcement in medicine will be followed by the physics prize on Tuesday, the chemistry prize on Wednesday, and the literature prize on Thursday. After the peace prize is revealed on Friday, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences is scheduled to be announced on October 12.
Source: npr.org
