Quick Info
| Profession | Biophysicist |
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| Nationality | German |
| Date of Birth | 11/12/1954 |
| Age | 71 years |
| Birthplace | Münster, Germany |
Latest News about Peter Hegemann
08/10/2025
Peter Hegemann was named among the 2026 Nobel Prize recipients in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries related to light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The award recognized work that helped explain how light can control cellular activity, a field that has had major impact in neuroscience and related biomedical research.
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Peter Hegemann is a German biophysicist known for research on sensory photoreceptors in microalgae and for helping establish optogenetics. |
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Educational Qualification(s)
| Studies | Chemistry, University of Münster and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich |
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| PhD | Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Munich |
| Habilitation | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich |
Personal Life
| Grew up in | Aachen, Germany |
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Family
| Family background | Came from a family with many medical doctors |
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Career
| Current/most notable role | Professor of Experimental Biophysics at Humboldt University of Berlin |
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| Other roles | Professor and Head of the Department for Biophysics at Humboldt University of Berlin |
| Research focus | Natural sensory photoreceptors, microalgae, channelrhodopsins, optogenetics |
| Previous positions | Postdoctoral researcher at Syracuse University; research group leader at the Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry; professor for Biochemistry at the University of Regensburg |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Born in Münster and grew up in Aachen | |
| 2. Studied chemistry before moving into biochemistry | |
| 3. Helped identify channelrhodopsin and its function in light-gated ion transport | |
| 4. Has received major awards including the Leibniz Prize, Louis-Jeantet Award, and Brain Prize |