Rita Levi-Montalcini
Italian neurologist and Nobel laureate whose wartime bedroom experiments led to the discovery of nerve growth factor, recounted here via archive interviews.
Best podcasts with Rita Levi-Montalcini
Ranked by the Snipd community
Feb 9, 2026 • 11min
The discovery of nerve growth factor
Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist and Nobel laureate who secretly did wartime bedroom experiments. She recounts how chicken embryo work revealed nerve cell death. She describes follow-up discoveries in the US that pointed to a protein driving nerve growth. The story traces initial skepticism to eventual recognition and lasting scientific legacy.
