To whom was the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the year 2016 awarded?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of Nobel Prizes in the sciences, specifically Physiology or Medicine. The 2016 Nobel Prize in this category honoured research on a fundamental cellular process that is important for health and disease. For competitive exams, it is useful to remember not only the name of the laureate but also the general area of work, because questions can be framed in different ways. Here we are directly asked to identify the scientist who received the prize in that particular year.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The category is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- The year specified is 2016.
- Options list several Nobel laureates in physics and chemistry along with one laureate in medicine.
- We must identify which person actually received the medicine prize in that year.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall that Yoshinori Ohsumi, a Japanese cell biologist, received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy, a process by which cells degrade and recycle components. The other names in the options, such as David J Thouless, J Michael Kosterlitz, Duncan Haldane, and Sir J Fraser Stoddart, are Nobel laureates in physics or chemistry from around the same period. Exam setters often mix names from different categories and years to test whether candidates can precisely match the right person with the right prize.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Yoshinori Ohsumi for work on autophagy. Step 2: Recognise that David J Thouless, Duncan Haldane, and J Michael Kosterlitz received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on topological phases of matter. Step 3: Remember that Sir J Fraser Stoddart was part of the team that received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on molecular machines. Step 4: Based on this mapping, select Yoshinori Ohsumi as the only correct answer for the medicine category in 2016.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official Nobel listings for 2016 clearly state that Yoshinori Ohsumi was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy. The same year, Thouless, Haldane, and Kosterlitz shared the physics prize, while Bernard Feringa, Jean Pierre Sauvage, and Sir J Fraser Stoddart shared the chemistry prize. None of the physics or chemistry laureates are connected to the medicine prize. This independent check confirms that Yoshinori Ohsumi is the correct and only answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
David J Thouless is a physicist who shared the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, not the medicine prize.
J Michael Kosterlitz is also a physicist and a co recipient of the 2016 Physics Nobel, so he is not the correct candidate here.
Sir J Fraser Stoddart is a chemist who shared the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on molecular machines, not autophagy.
Duncan Haldane is a physicist and another co recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, so his work belongs to a different category entirely.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse Nobel laureates across categories because the prizes are announced around the same time each year and are often studied together. The presence of multiple 2016 laureates in the options increases the risk of mixing up physics, chemistry, and medicine winners. Another pitfall is to focus only on the year and not on the category, leading to selection of any 2016 Nobel winner. To avoid this, always carefully read both the category and the year, and if possible associate the winner with a keyword such as autophagy for Yoshinori Ohsumi.

Final Answer:
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2016 was awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi.