October 11, 2026
The Israeli connection to the Nobel Prize in Medicine
צילום: מכון ויצמן למדע
How can the brain be studied using light?
Professor Ofer Yizhar, a researcher from the Weizmann Institute, helped develop tools that make this possible.
This week, his former mentor, Professor Karl Deisseroth, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine along with two other researchers.
In 2008, Yizhar joined a small lab in the United States.
End of Hebrew Preview
For an immersive experience with the full text, translations, pronunciation, a personal dictionary and other interactive features, download our mobile app
The researchers there learned to activate nerve cells using light. At first, people thought the method wouldn't work in a living brain. But the experiments succeeded.
With this method, researchers make certain cells respond to light. This allows them to activate or stop their activity. Afterward, they examine what changes in behavior. This helps them understand what each group of cells does.
Today, Yizhar continues to study the brain in Israel. He hopes that the research will help develop treatments in the future for people with brain diseases and pain. He also wants to understand a big question: How does our brain create thoughts and memories?