Best of: The future of neuroscience

Hi everyone, we had big news out of Stanford this week: Karl Deisseroth has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries leading to optogenetics, a technique that makes it possible to switch individual nerve cells on or off in the living brain. To celebrate, we're re-releasing a live conversation Russ had with Karl a few years ago. He's both a bioengineer and a practicing psychiatrist, and he tells me how he built a way to control brain cells with light, why the odds were stacked against it, and how it could open the door to better treatments for psychiatric disorders. We also talk about his book Projections and what it takes to turn a long-shot idea into a tool that changes neuroscience. Congratulations, Karl, on an honor so well deserved. Whether this is your first listen or your second, it's one worth hearing.

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Stanford Profile: Karl DeisserothLearn more about Karl's Nobel Prize winLearn more about OptogeneticsReactions to Karl's Nobel Win    Connect With Us:

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(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces Karl Deisseroth, a professor of bioengineering, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.

(00:04:49) Technology and Discovery

Why Deisseroth sees technology development and basic neuroscience as inseparable.

(00:06:36) What Is Optogenetics?

How light can be used to precisely turn specific cells in the brain on or off.

(00:08:27) Turning an Idea into a Tool