Rita Levi-Montalcini

Hello! My name is Rita Levi-Montalcini. I was born on April 22nd, 1909, in a beautiful city in Italy called Turin. I had a twin sister named Paola, and we grew up together. I loved to read books and learn about everything around me. I decided that when I grew up, I wanted to be a doctor and a scientist. At first, my father thought that wasn't a good job for a girl. But I knew in my heart that it was what I was meant to do. So, I studied very, very hard to make my dream of helping people and making discoveries come true.

In 1936, I was so proud because I finished my studies and officially became a scientist. But soon after, a big war, called World War II, began. Because of new rules in my country in 1938, I was told I couldn't work in my big university lab anymore. That made me sad, but it did not stop me. I decided to build my own tiny, secret laboratory right in my bedroom! I used simple tools and a microscope to look at tiny chicken embryos. I was so interested in how their nerve cells, which are like little messengers in our bodies, grew and connected with each other. It was in that small room that I started to understand a big secret about how all living things grow.

After the war was over, people heard about the secret work I had been doing. In 1947, I received an exciting invitation to come to a big university in America to continue my studies. I was so happy! There, I began working with another scientist named Stanley Cohen, and we became a great team. Together, in the early 1950s, we made an amazing discovery. We found a special substance that I named 'nerve growth factor.' You can think of it like a secret message that tells nerve cells when it's time to grow, where they should go, and how to connect with other cells. Finding this was a very important piece of the puzzle for understanding how our brains and bodies work.

For our important discovery, Stanley and I were given a very special award in 1986 called the Nobel Prize! It was a wonderful honor. I continued working as a scientist my whole life because I was always asking questions and looking for answers in the world. In 2001, I was even made a senator in Italy. I lived a very long and full life. I lived to be 103 years old. Today, scientists still use my discovery of nerve growth factor to help them find cures for illnesses and to better understand our amazing human brain. I hope my story reminds you to always stay curious, just like I did!