Honouring a Scientific Legacy

Honouring a Scientific Legacy

Reflections from Piera Levi-Montalcini

The Rita Levi-Montalcini ESRA Award celebrates outstanding contributions to neuroscience and pain research, honouring the remarkable legacy of Rita Levi-Montalcini, whose groundbreaking discoveries transformed our understanding of nerve growth and neurobiology.

In preparation for this issue of the ESRA Newsletter, the editorial board invited Piera Levi-Montalcini, niece of Rita Levi-Montalcini, to share a personal perspective on the woman behind the scientific achievements. Through her reflections, we hoped to bring our readers closer to the person whose name now inspires an ESRA award dedicated to scientific excellence.

Her responses offer a touching reminder that the legacies celebrated through scientific awards are rooted not only in discoveries and publications, but also in the values, curiosity, and determination of the individuals who made them possible.

ESRA Newsletter – When you think of Rita Levi-Montalcini, what is the most vivid memory that comes to your mind—something that best captures who she was, either as a professional or as a person—that you would like to share with the ESRA community?

What impressed me most about my aunt was the genuine interest she showed in listening to others. She had a remarkable ability to pay attention to every detail and to remember even the smallest aspects of a conversation.

Another gift that many people relied upon was her extraordinary diagnostic intuition. She was often able to recognise patterns or possibilities that others had overlooked. Her careful attention to the description of symptoms meant that more than one person owed her a great deal of gratitude for identifying the cause of their illness when no one else had.

ESRA Newsletter – During the ESRA awards ceremony, when the award bearing her name was announced, what emotions did you experience in that moment, and what did it mean to you and your family to see her legacy honoured in this way?

The establishment of such a prestigious award confirms how significant my aunt’s scientific work and social commitment were throughout the long journey of her life.

For our family, it is a great source of pride. At the same time, it reminds us of the ongoing responsibility to keep her memory alive and to continue sharing the many talents and qualities that may not yet be fully recognised.

For this reason, we sincerely thank ESRA, its Executive Board, and all those who contribute to preserving and passing on her teachings.

ESRA Newsletter – If Rita Levi-Montalcini could speak directly to the ESRA community today—especially to young physicians and researchers—what message do you think she would want to share?

If Professor Levi-Montalcini were still with us today, I believe she would never tire of encouraging young people to keep their minds open and free to explore new avenues of research. She would urge researchers to work in multidisciplinary teams and to make the fullest use of the potential offered by new technological tools, while also continually reminding them to adhere to strong ethical principles in order to prevent the misuse of new knowledge.