Pia Ragno is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy. She earned a degree in Biological Sciences summa cum laude (1985) and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Pathology (1992) from the Federico II University. She is a reviewer for several international journals (including Nature, Blood, American Journal of Pathology, J Cell Science, Clinical Cancer Res, JBC, etc.); Her studies have focused on the urokinase receptor (uPAR), in particular on its role in cell adhesion and migration. At present, she is studying the role of uPAR in the biology of hematopoietic stem cells, uPAR interactions with chemotaxis receptors, and post-transcriptional uPAR expression.