Brain Researcher Who Has Won Every Award in Medicine

Listen to 100s of Science Documentaries on Turing for Free. Check out the App at iOS: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-turing-app/id6752724106 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theturingapp.turing&hl=en or listen at https://theturingapp.com What does it take for a psychiatrist and engineer to transform brain science? Karl Deisseroth’s story begins far from the clinics where he would eventually treat patients. Growing up moving across the United States as the son of a professor and chemistry teacher, he showed an extraordinary early memory, memorizing a Robert Frost poem in the third grade. His future seemed destined for traditional academic research after graduating summa cum laude from Harvard in biochemistry. He went on to earn a neuroscience PhD and a medical degree from Stanford, initially setting his sights on becoming a neurosurgeon. That decision would transform his life. Meeting a patient suffering from severe schizoaffective disorder changed his path toward psychiatry. Disturbed by the gap between profound human suffering and what medical tests could reveal, he sought a way to understand the complex electrical signaling of the brain. Curiosity eventually led him into optogenetics. After years of developing tools to control neural activity with light—pioneered alongside discoveries from researchers studying green algae—Deisseroth's lab achieved breakthroughs that allowed scientists to map brain circuits and study conditions like Parkinson’s disease and depression. Then the scientific community entered one of the most recognized periods of his career, marked by international awards and a $3 million Breakthrough Prize. On October 5, 2026, the former psychiatrist and toolmaker was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This is the remarkable journey of Karl Deisseroth from a book-loving child and clinician to pioneering the method that allows scientists to turn specific brain cells on with light. ----------- Turing is a leading publisher of popular science books. Check out our collection on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Turing-Editorial-Team/author/B0GVXKMGGJ/allbooks?ccs_id=4637a82d-44e3-49b7-92d6-ed1aec5fe06b Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/author/turing-editorial-team/id1895369034?see-all=books ---------------- Listen to Mavericks of Science on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Meet the most influential and groundbreaking contemporary researchers Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/48c6VqsI8vtH9D2W5MYXfG?si=acc3565470d246ef Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mavericks-of-science/id1875688838 ---------------- Weekend Science Audiobooks on Latest Science Breakthroughs, Opinions and Essential Guides by Turing Kobo, Walmart: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/author/7p0Kts6ozkAbDQHwJetWpV?si=badc495c551642be Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/tv/authors/turing-editorial-team-1252408 CREDITS: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation MaxPlanckSociety CanadaGairdnerAwards Stanford University School of Engineering Kyoto Prize Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation UPMC The EMBO Meeting TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 02:45 - A childhood shaped by books 07:10 - A risky idea becomes a worldwide tool 14:43 - From scientific recognition to human benefit 16:50 - The writer, father, and physician