The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1981

Roger W. Sperry

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/2

David H. Hubel

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/4

Torsten N. Wiesel

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/4

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1981 was divided, one half awarded to Roger W. Sperry "for his discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres", the other half jointly to David H. Hubel and Torsten N. Wiesel "for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system"

To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1981. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Thu. 21 Nov 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1981/summary/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.

See them all presented here.

Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.