Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Congratulates Karl Deisseroth on Receiving the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
New York, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) congratulates Karl
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New York, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) congratulates Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., on receiving the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in optogenetics.
Dr. Deisseroth shares this year’s Nobel Prize with Peter Hegemann, Ph.D., and Georg Nagel, Ph.D., for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, a revolutionary technology that enables scientists to use light to control the activity of specific brain cells.
This recognition is especially meaningful to BBRF because Dr. Karl Deisseroth received a 2005 and 2007 BBRF Young Investigator Award early in his career, when he was establishing his laboratory. He also joined our Scientific Council in 2008 and received the 2013 BBRF Goldman-Rakic Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Cognitive Neuroscience.
As Dr. Deisseroth said when he received the Goldman-Rakic Prize: “When an investigator has unusual ideas, risky ideas, it may be hard to get funding. One of the first grants that I received as a young investigator just starting my laboratory was from BBRF. It was a Young Investigator award. BBRF stands for a very principled and very visionary approach to brain science.”
“We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Deisseroth on this extraordinary and well-deserved honor,” said Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. “BBRF was privileged to support Karl early in his career, when he was pursuing bold and innovative research that would ultimately transform neuroscience. His achievements exemplify why it is so important to invest in promising scientists and groundbreaking ideas at the earliest stages.”
Optogenetics has transformed scientists’ ability to study how specific cells and neural circuits influence behavior and has become an essential research tool for advancing understanding of the brain in both health and disease.
Dr. Deisseroth has also been a guest on two episodes of the PBS series Healthy Minds with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, produced by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
https://youtu.be/738yacmfeTY?si=YXBKCHjcYrr340wF
https://youtu.be/NS6Cj5CkKdQ?si=Nnjz-x_OAZiOWRN2
About the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) awards research grants to develop improved treatments, cures, and methods of prevention for mental illness. These illnesses include addiction, ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, and schizophrenia, as well as research on suicide prevention. Since 1987, the Foundation has awarded more than $487 million to fund more than 5,900 leading scientists around the world. 100% of every dollar donated for research is invested in research. BBRF operating expenses are covered by separate foundation grants. BBRF is the producer of the Emmy®-nominated public television series Healthy Minds with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, which aims to remove the stigma of mental illness and demonstrate that with help, there is hope.
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Myrna Manners Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (718) 986-7255 mmanners@mannerspr.com
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