Early Life and Education
Rita Levi-Montalcini (April 22, 1909 - December 30, 2012) was an Italian neurologist born into a Jewish family in Turin, Italy. Despite facing discrimination under Benito Mussolini's racial laws, she pursued her passion for medicine and enrolled in medical school at the University of Turin in 1930.
Career and Nobel Prize
Levi-Montalcini's path in medicine was initially disrupted by the fascist regime. However, she continued her research in Switzerland and, in 1947, joined Viktor Hamburger at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Together, they made a groundbreaking discovery in 1954: Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a substance crucial for the development of nerve cells. Levi-Montalcini and her colleague Stanley Cohen isolated NGF, earning them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986.
Later Accomplishments
After receiving the Nobel Prize, Levi-Montalcini founded the Institute of Cell Biology in Rome, Italy. She also established the European Brain Research Institute and served as its president.
Recognition and Legacy
Levi-Montalcini's accomplishments were widely recognized. She received the National Medal of Science in 1987 and was appointed a lifetime Senator in the Italian Senate in 2001. Despite facing adversity, she became the longest-living Nobel laureate at the time of her death in 2012 at the age of 103.
Summary
Rita Levi-Montalcini was a pioneering Italian scientist who made significant contributions to the field of neurology. Her discovery of Nerve Growth Factor and her advocacy for scientific research continue to inspire generations of scientists worldwide.