Nobel Prize Honors Breakthrough in Decoding the Brain’s Emotional Wiring
US psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth, together with German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for pioneering optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control the activity of specific neurons.
Their research has provided a powerful tool for mapping the neural circuitry underlying particular memories, feelings and behaviours, opening an era of targeted investigations into neurological and psychiatric disorders.
In clinical settings, researchers are already applying optogenetic strategies in attempts to restore vision for patients with visual impairment, demonstrating the translational potential of this discovery.
Published 4 minutes ago © BBC News | BBC News
