The 2026 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering honours nine engineers whose pioneering work on modern neural interfaces has restored lost human function and had a lasting impact for people around the world.
The QEPrize has been awarded to Graeme Clark, Erwin Hochmair, Ingeborg Hochmair, Blake Wilson, John Donoghue, Alim Louis Benabid, Pierre Pollak, Jocelyne Bloch and Grégoire Courtine 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 physical limitations.
An awards spokesman said their work “enables technology to interact directly with the brain and nervous system to restore abilities such as hearing, movement, and communication for people affected by sensory loss, paralysis, and neurological disease”.
Together, these advances mark a new frontier in neuroprosthetics, where engineering and medicine converge to restore capabilities once thought lost forever.
Spanning several decades of research and clinical translation, the Laureates’ contributions have transformed complex neuroscience into practical technologies that have restored independence and improved quality of life for growing numbers of people worldwide.
Modern neural interfaces encompass a range of technologies that connect engineered systems with the nervous system to restore function.
Among the most established of these are cochlear implants, which convert sound into electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve, enabling people who are severe to profoundly deaf to regain functional hearing.
Prof Graeme Clark AC, Prof Erwin Hochmair, Dr Ingeborg Hochmair, and Prof Blake Wilson are recognised for their collective contributions to the development of cochlear implants, including advances in electrical stimulation, multi-channel systems, miniaturisation, and sound processing.
Their groundbreaking work has transformed cochlear implants from experimental devices into reliable neural prostheses used by over a million people around the world.
Prof John Donoghue is recognised for his foundational leadership in advancing brain–computer interfaces, creating systems that decode neural activity from the motor cortex to restore movement and communication. His work demonstrated that neural signals could be translated into commands for external devices, establishing core engineering principles that underpin the field.
Prof Alim Louis Benabid and Profr Pierre Pollak pioneered modern deep brain stimulation, a therapy that uses targeted electrical stimulation to alleviate symptoms of neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Their engineering contributions to electrode design and programmable stimulation systems have revolutionised treatment for thousands of patients.
Prof Jocelyne Bloch and Prof Grégoire Courtine are recognised for their development of electronic spinal stimulation technology, which reactivates neural circuits controlling locomotion. By combining targeted electrical stimulation with advanced rehabilitation approaches, their work has enabled individuals with spinal cord injuries to regain voluntary movement.
Speaking about his cochlear work, Prof Graeme Clark AC said: “My work in auditory brain science began with the aim of restoring hearing for people with severe deafness, inspired in part by my own family’s experience.”
“Over time, this research showed that multi-channel stimulation of the auditory nerve could restore elements of hearing, opening the door to an entirely new field of medical engineering.”
“Cochlear implants were once considered impossible by many. Today, they demonstrate what can be achieved when engineers, clinicians, and users work together with a shared purpose,” added Dr Ingeborg Hochmair.
Prof John Donoghue said: “The goal of our work in brain-computer interfaces has always been to help people living with paralysis and to unravel the mystery of brain codes to restore movement, control, and communication.
“It has been immensely gratifying to see advances toward those goals in our own BrainGate clinical trials, as well as through the work of research groups around the world. I am confident that progress made in brain computer interfaces will lead to revolutionary new treatments for people with paralysis and many other brain disorders.”
Reflecting on his deep brain therapy work, Prof Alim Louis Benabid said: “This approach introduced a new way of thinking about the treatment of movement and other disorders and demonstrated how bio-engineering principles can be applied directly to the functioning of the human brain.”
And Prof Jocelyne Bloch said of the electronic spinal stimulation technology: “Neurosurgery teaches humility. Innovation demands audacity. This journey has required both—and this prize recognises that this unlikely combination was essential to advance treatments for people with paralysis.”
Summing up the awards, Lord Vallance, Chair, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, concluded: “ Through decades of sustained innovation, this year’s Laureates have shown how engineering working alongside medicine can address loss of function and improve quality of life.
“We are proud to recognise these engineers and their outstanding contribution to society.”
The Laureates will share the £500,000 prize, formally announced at the Science Museum in London.
