The Lasker Foundation has announced the winners of its 2026 awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in basic medical research, clinical science, and public service. These awards, often called "America's Nobel Prizes," honor researchers who have made significant contributions to biomedical science and those who have advanced public health through advocacy. This year’s recipients include scientists who made key discoveries in sleep science, researchers behind a major breakthrough in treating hemophilia, and actor Michael J. Fox for his advocacy in Parkinson’s disease. The awards will be presented on September 17 in New York City, with each winner receiving $250,000. The Lasker Foundation, established in 1942 by Albert and Mary Lasker, has long supported medical research and health advocacy. The Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award went to two scientists who independently identified a key brain chemical involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. Dr. Emmanuel Mignot of Stanford University and Masashi Yanagisawa of the University of Tsukuba discovered that a substance called orexin plays a crucial role in maintaining wakefulness. People with certain forms of narcolepsy — a neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden muscle weakness — are often missing this substance. Mignot was studying the causes of narcolepsy in dogs and later extended his findings to humans, while Yanagisawa was investigating a class of receptors known as GPCRs, which had previously been considered "orphans" because their activating chemicals were unknown. Their research revealed that orexin, despite its name (derived from the Greek word for appetite), is not related to hunger but instead helps promote wakefulness. The discoveries of Mignot and Yanagisawa have led to new treatments for both insomnia and narcolepsy. Insomnia treatments now use orexin receptor antagonists, which reduce wakefulness to promote sleep. Narcolepsy treatments, known as orexin receptor agonists, increase the activity of these receptors to enhance wakefulness. The first drug in this category, an orexin receptor agonist, was recently approved for use, offering new hope for patients with narcolepsy. The Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award was presented to three scientists from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Chugai Pharmaceutical: Kunihiro Hattori, Takehisa Kitazawa, and Tomoyuki Igawa. They developed an antibody treatment for hemophilia A, a severe bleeding disorder caused by a genetic mutation that prevents the body from producing enough factor VIII, a key clotting protein. Their treatment uses an antibody to bind two other clotting factors — factors IX and X — creating a structure that mimics the function of factor VIII. The drug, called emicizumab (Hemlibra), was approved in the U.S. in 2017 and has since been approved in over 100 countries. More than 30,000 people have received the treatment, significantly improving the quality of life for those with hemophilia A. The final award, the Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award, was given to actor Michael J. Fox for his advocacy in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. Fox was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at age 29 and publicly shared his diagnosis in 1998, helping to reduce the stigma surrounding the condition. He founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which has since funded over $3 billion in research aimed at finding a cure. Fox expressed gratitude for the award, stating that it is a tribute to all those living with Parkinson’s and those working to end the disease.