Live Science recently spoke with Dr. Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy and co-winner of the prestigious Lasker Award. While many are familiar with melatonin, a hormone that helps the body prepare for sleep, a lesser-known brain chemical called orexin plays a crucial role in promoting wakefulness. In 1999, two scientists independently discovered the function of orexin and published their findings. Dr. Masashi Yanagisawa, a molecular biologist now at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, first encountered orexin while studying brain receptors and chemicals. Dr. Mignot, who now leads the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy, focused on orexin while researching narcoleptic dogs. His dogs, including a Chihuahua named Watson, helped shed light on the condition. This year, both scientists were awarded the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for their groundbreaking work, which has transformed the understanding of sleep and led to new treatments for insomnia and narcolepsy. Mignot shared with Live Science how his journey into narcolepsy research began. He was drawn to the disorder because it was a common yet overlooked human condition, a unique sleep disorder, and a problem that seemed solvable through research. Mignot started working with dogs suffering from narcolepsy after realizing that pharmacological approaches alone wouldn't uncover the cause of the condition. He turned to genetics, despite not being trained in the field. His work with dogs took a decade and faced skepticism, but ultimately led to the discovery of the orexin receptor. Mignot explained that finding a specific brain switch controlling wakefulness was a fortunate outcome, and the discovery had immediate practical impacts, including a surge in awareness of narcolepsy in children and the development of new, safer drugs. Mignot also discussed the possibility of an autoimmune response in narcolepsy, which may damage the brain cells that produce orexin. He highlighted the importance of studying diverse populations to better understand the genetic factors involved. He expressed excitement about new treatments targeting orexin, which he sees as a direct extension of his earlier work. These drugs may also have applications in conditions like ADHD and depression, and could offer benefits to patients with complex disorders such as narcolepsy and schizophrenia.