Karl Deisseroth

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Karl Deisseroth's achievements represent a pinnacle in modern neuroscience. He is the only individual to hold memberships in all three US National Academies (Engineering, Sciences, and Medicine) while still under 55. His invention of optogenetics has revolutionized the field, allowing precise control of neural activity and leading to new treatments for mental illness. The 2026 Nobel Prize cements his status as one of the most influential scientists of the 21st century.

AwardsKarl Deisseroth has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2026, the Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 2013, and the MacArthur Fellowship in 2014. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2019, the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, and the National Academy of Medicine in 2017. Other honors include the Dan David Prize in 2012 and the Searle Scholar Award in 2009.

Honours & Distinctions

Member, U.S. National Academy of Engineering

National Academy of Engineering·2019

Elected for contributions to bioengineering and optogenetics.

Member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Sciences·2018

Elected for contributions to neuroscience and bioengineering.

Member, U.S. National Academy of Medicine

National Academy of Medicine·2017

Elected for contributions to medicine and neuroscience.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Michigan·2015

Recognized for contributions to biomedical engineering.

Honorary Doctorate

California Institute of Technology·2016

Recognized for contributions to neuroscience.

Rankings & Lists

Top 10 Most Influential Scientists

Nature·2020

#12

Top 100 Global Innovators

Forbes·2021

Magazine Covers

Scientific American

October 2026

The Light That Heals

Time

November 2026

Person of the Year Finalist

Records & Feats

First Use of Optogenetics in Mammalian Brain

Historic First·2005

Published the first paper demonstrating the use of channelrhodopsin-2 to control neurons in living mammals.

Highest Citation Count for Optogenetics Paper

Career Milestone·2026

His 2005 Nature paper remains one of the most cited articles in neuroscience history.