Rita Levi-Montalcini

Interview

Interview, November 2008

Interview with the 1986 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Rita Levi-Montalcini in Rome, Italy, 26 November 2008. The interviewer is Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org.

Rita Levi-Montalcini talks about her daily work in the institute, why she had to make a laboratory in her bedroom to conduct research during World War II (3:06), the benefits of working in isolation (5:03), her post-war move to the United States (6:25), her work with Stanley Cohen and the discovery of nerve growth factor (7:15), the roles of intuition and chance in biological research (15:14), her current research (16:58), her advice to young scientists (17:41), and why this period of her life has been the best so far (28:10).

To cite this section
MLA style: Rita Levi-Montalcini – Interview. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2026. Mon. 14 Sep 2026. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1986/levi-montalcini/interview/>

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.