Luigi Galvani (1737-1798). 1856 illustration of the Italian physician and physicist Luigi Aloisio Galvani. Galvani is best known for pioneering research in the field of bioelectricity and bioelectromagnetism. In 1780, he discovered that the muscles of dead frogs' legs twitched when struck by an electrical spark. This led the way for further research into the role of electricity in biological systems.