Karl Deisseroth at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, Peter Hegemann at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel at University of Würzburg, Germany, have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The work fundamentally changed how neuroscientists investigate the brain. Deisseroth has been an SfN member for 33 years. Peter Hegemann has been an SfN member for 15 years.

Two new studies highlight how communication gaps can complicate efforts to protect vulnerable users of technologies such as social media and AI chatbots. Researchers will present the work at the 29th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW 2026), held October 1–14 in Salt Lake City.

Many medical specialties now require graduating doctors to be skilled in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing patients and performing procedures. POCUS is a portable, ultrasound device used when fast, accurate decisions are necessary to make fast, accurate medical decisions. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lists this as an official milestone for graduation. Even though training is improving for its possible use in treating head, eye and nerve conditions, POCUS is only moderately by neurologists dealing with some  neurological conditions.

Ultrasound-guidance for procedures, such as lumbar puncture, is one application of POCUS.  Ultrasound assisted lumbar punctures (USLP) and ultrasound guidance for similar neuraxial procedures have been evaluated for safety and efficacy in other specialties. However, data supporting the use of this technique by neurologists and neurology trainees are limited.

In an editorial in the journal Neurology: Education, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine believe implementation of USLP in neurology could benefit the subsection of patients with the most challenging anatomy and urgent need for diagnostic clarity.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a new Physician Nutrition Specialist (F7) specialty code, effective for dates of service beginning October 1, 2026. The code was implemented in Medicare systems on October 5, 2026. It provides a way to identify physicians with advanced expertise in clinical nutrition within the Medicare system.