Scientists win prize for restoring sight to the blind
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Botond Roska and José-Alain Sahel, researchers from Switzerland and the United States, received the António Champalimaud Vision Award 2026 for developing therapies that restore some vision to people blinded by retinal diseases.
The scientists pioneered optogenetic techniques that reactivate light-sensitive cells in the retina, even after the original photoreceptor cells have been destroyed. Over more than 20 years, Roska and Sahel conducted research that included a clinical trial with 10 patients.
Their work first showed success in animal models of hereditary retinal degeneration by re-establishing some visual function through the activation of dormant retinal cells. They later confirmed these findings in human trials, demonstrating a partial recovery of sight in patients. The Champalimaud Foundation recognized the researchers as leading innovators in vision recovery technology, highlighting their ability to translate fundamental biological discoveries into clinical practice.
Approximately 43 million people worldwide are blind, and 295 million have some form of visual impairment, with retinal diseases being a major cause. The foundation noted that effective treatments for vision loss caused by these conditions have been limited, but Roska and Sahel’s work offers new hope.
