Kai Zhang, Professor of Biochemistry, was interviewed by WAND News in October, 2026 for his research into the Nobel Prize-winning technology of optogenetics.
Optogenetics, Zhang told WAND, acts like a laser pointer. The technology is able to, for example, kill off cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy. Since his arrival at MCB, Zhang's lab has studied how ontogenetic spatial and temporal precision affect inflammation and cell death. Zhang's is one of fewer than 100 labs in the world with optogenetic capabilities.
In 2026, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Georg Nagel, Peter Hegemann, and Karl Deisseroth. Zhang attended Stanford University as a post-doctoral researcher while Deisseroth won his first prizes in optogenetics at the Stanford School of Medicine.
