Rita Levi-Montalcini

Rita Levi Montalcini

Rita Levi-Montalcini (22 April 1909 – 30 December 2012) was an Italian neuroscientist who, along with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for their discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF). This work not only advanced the scientific understanding of neural development and regeneration but also opened new pathways in the study of cellular communication and mechanisms underlying conditions such as tumors and neurodegenerative diseases.

Early Life and Education

Rita Levi-Montalcini was born in Turin, Italy, into a Sephardic Jewish family. Despite facing opposition from her father, who believed a professional career would interfere with the duties of a wife and mother, she pursued higher education and graduated in medicine and surgery from the University of Turin in 1936. Her academic career was initially hindered by Benito Mussolini's 1938 laws barring Jews from academic and professional careers. However, Levi-Montalcini set up a makeshift laboratory in her bedroom, continuing her research in secret.

Career and Research

During World War II, Levi-Montalcini worked as a physician and in 1943, due to the invasion of Italy by the Allied forces, she fled to Florence and lived underground until the war ended. After the war, she returned to the University of Turin. In 1947, she was invited by Viktor Hamburger to the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she would remain for most of her career. It was there, in collaboration with Stanley Cohen, that she made her most significant discovery, the nerve growth factor (NGF), in the 1950s.

NGF was the first identified growth factor, a protein that is necessary for the growth and survival of certain types of neurons. This discovery was pivotal for the field of neuroscience, as it provided insight into the processes that govern the growth and maintenance of nerve cells, and it has implications for understanding and treating a variety of neurological conditions.

Later Life and Honors

Levi-Montalcini received numerous awards and honors in addition to the Nobel Prize, including the National Medal of Science in the United States in 1987. She was also appointed a Senator for Life in the Italian Senate in 2001, an honor bestowed upon her for her outstanding contributions to science and society. Despite her advanced age, she remained active in the scientific community and in promoting education and research until her death in 2012 at the age of 103.

Legacy

Rita Levi-Montalcini's legacy is marked by her groundbreaking research in neuroscience, her resilience in the face of adversity, and her dedication to science and education. Her work has paved the way for further research into the mechanisms of cell growth and death, and her life serves as an inspiration for scientists around the world.

See Also

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Nerve Growth Factor
• Stanley Cohen (biochemist)