2026 QEPrize Winners
Modern Neural Interfaces
The 2026 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is awarded for the design and development of modern neural interfaces that restore human function. This year’s Laureates have delivered pioneering achievements in neuroengineering, demonstrating the extraordinary power of engineering to overcome profound physical limitations and transform lives.
Graeme Clark, Erwin Hochmair, Ingeborg Hochmair, and Blake Wilson are recognised for their groundbreaking work on cochlear implants, which convert sound into electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Their innovations in signal processing, miniaturisation, and biocompatible materials have restored hearing for over a million people worldwide.
John Donoghue is honoured for his foundational leadership in advancing brain–computer interfaces, creating systems that decode neural activity to restore movement and communication. By translating signals from the motor cortex into commands for external devices, his work, and that of the consortium he led, enables individuals with paralysis to regain independence, and serves as a building block for other contributors to continue to develop this technology.
Alim Louis Benabid and Pierre Pollak are celebrated for pioneering modern deep brain stimulation, a therapy that alleviates symptoms of neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Their engineering contributions to electrode design and programmable stimulation systems have transformed treatment for thousands of patients.
Jocelyne Bloch and Grégoire Courtine are recognised for their development of electronic spinal stimulation technology, which reactivates neural circuits controlling locomotion. Through targeted electrical pulses and advanced rehabilitation protocols, they have enabled individuals with spinal cord injuries to regain voluntary movement.
Together, these innovations represent a new frontier in neuroprosthetics, where engineering and medicine converge to restore capabilities once thought lost forever. The work of the 2026 Laureates exemplifies the transformative impact of engineering on humanity and lays the foundation for future breakthroughs that will redefine what is possible.
