Born on October 21, 1950, in the village of Chargyn-Tash in Kyrgyzstan.

1973: graduated from Gorky State Medical Institute in Donetsk, Ukraine, qualified as a sanitary doctor.

1973-1982: epidemiologist, chief physician at a sanitary and epidemiological office at the Krasnoarmeisk Station on the Donetsk Railway.

1982-1987: chief physician of the central sanitary and epidemiological station of the Moscow Metro.

1987-1988: employed at the Health and Social Welfare Department of the Russian Council of Ministers.

1988-1991: Deputy Head of the Main Sanitary and Epidemiological Department of the Soviet Health Ministry.

1991-1996: Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, then Acting Chairman of the Committee.

1996-2004: Russia’s First Deputy Health Minister, then Chief Sanitary Doctor.

On March 12, 2004, was appointed Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare.

Has a Doctoral degree in Medicine, and is a member of both the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.

State awards: Merited Doctor of the Russian Federation, Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Russian State Prize for Science and Technology in 2002 and 2005, Order of Service to the Fatherland, 4th Class, in 2005.

Married, with three children.