contrasted the leitrim fiction with that of beatrice reddy - montalcini , an italy scientist laureate . turned 100 last month . she still attends for work every day at the european brain research institute in rome , which she built . she was appointed a senator for life in 2001 , and in 2006 , turned 97 , she attended the open assembly of the first elected senate . she takes part in discussions in the upper house , and in 2004 defended the understanding of evolution in italian schools . there is no record of her having claimed a day off because of festival commitments . apparently she even manages to working just through the spring of tralee without lifting her head from her petri dish .
Rita Levi-Montalcini is a Nobel prize winner.