Georg Nagel
2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Co-Discoverer of Channelrhodopsin | Biophysicist, University of Würzburg
Peter Hegemann
2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Co-Discoverer of Channelrhodopsin | Biophysicist, Humboldt University of Berlin
Peter Hegemann is a 2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, the biophysicist whose curiosity about how a single-celled alga swims toward light led to one of neuroscience's most important discoveries. With Georg Nagel, he discovered channelrhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein that became the foundation of optogenetics, a method now used worldwide to reveal how the living brain works.
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Peter Hegemann biography
Science speaker Peter Hegemann is a 2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, the biophysicist whose curiosity about a swimming alga helped launch a revolution in brain science. A professor at Humboldt University of Berlin, he spent years asking a deceptively simple question, how does a single-celled alga sense light and swim toward it so astonishingly fast, and the answer he uncovered, the protein channelrhodopsin, became the foundation of optogenetics, one of the most powerful tools neuroscience has ever known.
Hegemann’s journey began in the early 1990s, studying the green alga Chlamydomonas, famous for swimming toward light using a tiny eyespot. He measured electrical signals that appeared just half a millisecond after light struck the cell, twenty times faster than the human eye. He proposed a bold hypothesis: that a single protein could both capture light and act as an ion channel. The idea was met with skepticism, since no such protein was known. Working with his colleague Georg Nagel, he proved it true, identifying the light-gated channels they named channelrhodopsin-1 and channelrhodopsin-2.
From a Pond Alga to the Living Brain
That discovery opened the door to optogenetics. Their co-laureate Karl Deisseroth saw that channelrhodopsin could be placed into nerve cells to switch them on and off with light, giving scientists worldwide an unprecedented way to study how the brain creates memories, feelings, and behavior, and new approaches to diseases from depression to blindness. For this work, Hegemann received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Nagel and Deisseroth, and he has continued to advance the biophysics and engineering of these remarkable light-sensitive proteins.
As a speaker, Peter Hegemann embodies the power of pure, curiosity-driven science, the way a question about pond scum can, decades later, help illuminate the human mind. He speaks on the story of channelrhodopsin and optogenetics, the beauty of basic research, and how fundamental discoveries made for their own sake can transform medicine in ways no one could predict. His story is a compelling reminder of why curiosity matters, for scientists and non-scientists alike.
Peter Hegemann Speaking Videos
Gairdner Lecture - Dr. Peter Hegemann
Out of the wild, green yonder - Dr. Peter Hegemann
Peter Hegemann Keynote Topics
Peter Hegemann tells the remarkable story of how a simple question about a light-seeking pond alga led to a Nobel Prize and a revolution in neuroscience. With warmth and wonder, he traces the years of patient research, skepticism, and breakthrough that revealed channelrhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein at the heart of optogenetics. It is a captivating window into how great discoveries really happen, and the surprising places they begin.
Hegemann set out to understand an alga, not to cure disease, yet his work became the basis of a tool now transforming medicine. In this thought-provoking talk, he makes the case for curiosity-driven, fundamental science: why the most transformative advances often come from research with no obvious application, and why societies that value basic discovery reap extraordinary rewards. An important, timely message for business, science, and policy audiences alike.
What is channelrhodopsin, and how did a molecule from algae become a switch for the brain? Peter Hegemann offers an accessible, fascinating tour of the science he helped create, from the biophysics of light-sensitive proteins to the way optogenetics now lets researchers decode the circuits of memory, emotion, and behavior. A wonder-filled keynote for anyone curious about the frontiers of biology and the brain.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Peter Hegemann
Why Peter Hegemann?
Peter Hegemann is a 2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and the biophysicist who co-discovered channelrhodopsin, the protein that made optogenetics possible. His story, a years-long quest to understand how a tiny alga senses light, which ended up transforming brain science, is a powerful and genuinely inspiring illustration of how curiosity-driven research changes the world. Thoughtful and engaging, he brings audiences to the frontier of biology and offers a compelling case for the value of fundamental science. He is a distinguished choice for events on science, innovation, research, and the future. To enquire about Peter Hegemann, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Peter Hegemann?
Peter Hegemann is a German biophysicist and a 2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine. Born in 1954, he is a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin and spent much of his career studying how the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas senses and responds to light. In the early 1990s he hypothesized that a single protein could both capture light and act as an ion channel, and, working with Georg Nagel, discovered the light-gated proteins they named channelrhodopsin-1 and channelrhodopsin-2. This discovery became the foundation of optogenetics. He shared the 2026 Nobel Prize with Georg Nagel and Karl Deisseroth “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics,” and continues to advance the biophysics and engineering of channelrhodopsins.
What is channelrhodopsin, and what did Peter Hegemann win the Nobel Prize for?
Channelrhodopsin is a remarkable protein, first found in a single-celled alga, that acts as a light-gated ion channel: when blue light strikes it, a channel opens, charged ions flow, and an electrical signal is created. Peter Hegemann, intrigued by how the alga Chlamydomonas reacts to light with astonishing speed, proposed that a single protein could do both jobs at once, capturing light and conducting ions, and, with his colleague Georg Nagel, proved it, discovering channelrhodopsin-1 and -2. This was the crucial first step toward optogenetics: because any cell carrying the protein becomes sensitive to light, their co-laureate Karl Deisseroth was later able to put it into nerve cells and switch them on and off with light. For these foundational discoveries, Hegemann shared the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Nagel and Deisseroth “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics,” work that has given neuroscience one of its most powerful tools.
What topics does Peter Hegemann speak on?
Peter Hegemann speaks on the discovery of channelrhodopsin and the birth of optogenetics, the power and importance of curiosity-driven basic research, and the science of light-sensitive proteins and the brain. His profile suits events on science, research and innovation, education, and the future, for academic, scientific, corporate, and general audiences. To enquire about Peter Hegemann, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Peter Hegemann as a keynote speaker?
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How much is Peter Hegemann speaking fee?
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Can I book Peter Hegemann for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Peter Hegemann is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Peter Hegemann for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
