Levi-Montalcini was famous for her research on cell growth. Her first experiments were done in a small laboratory in her house. This was because she was Jewish when Italy was ruled by a dictator called Mussolini (1883-1945). Mussolini would not allow Jews to have a serious job. Since Levi-Montalcini was in great danger from Germans, she fled to Florence and was in hiding until the Germans left. Levi-Montalcini was allowed to experiment in better laboratories after World War II. From 1944 to 1945 Levi-Montalcini cared for war refugees after becoming medicine doctor.