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Peter Hegemann
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Peter Hegemann

German biophysicist

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Peter Hegemann is a German biophysicist, Hertie Senior Research Chair for Neurosciences and a professor of Experimental Biophysics at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. He is known for his discovery of channelrhodopsin, a type of ion channels regulated by light, thereby serving as a light sensor. This created the field of optogenetics, a technique that controls the activities of specific neurons by applying light. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, jointly awarded with Karl Deisseroth and Georg Nagel "for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics."

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Münster wd
Citizenship
Germany wd
Occupation
professor, biochemist, biophysicist wd
Education
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry wd

Awards wd

  • Massry Prize (2016)
  • Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2013)
  • The Brain Prize (2013)
  • Karl Heinz Beckurts Award (2010)
  • Berlin Science Award (2015)
  • Hector Wissenschaftspreis (2016)
  • Harvey Prize (2016)
  • Canada Gairdner International Award (2018)
  • EMBO Membership
  • Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (2013)
  • Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (2021)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022)
  • Gregor Mendel Medal (2017)
  • Warren Alpert Foundation Prize (2019)
  • Rumford Prize (2019)

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Questions

When was Peter Hegemann born?
Peter Hegemann was born on 11 December 1954 in Münster.
Where did Peter Hegemann study?
Peter Hegemann was educated at Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): Peter Hegemann · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikidata item Q2075526 · CC0 1.0
  3. Image: Peter Hegemann.jpg by Millencolin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Last updated · facts checked 15 November 2026

Cite this page

"Peter Hegemann". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/peter-hegemann. Retrieved 15 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Peter Hegemann, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Peter Hegemann.jpg — Millencolin, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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