I am a family physician and geriatrician who has worked with colleagues in Russia since 1994, establishing a family medicine residency in1997 through USAID funding. Initially with the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies and now with the Northwestern Medical University in St Petersburg we have collaborated on teaching and research activities with a focus on geriatric medicine. Published research included comparative studies among US, Russian, Korean and Indian cohorts about late life depression, functioning and palliative care.