CURRICULUM VITAE
Joseph M. Starobin, Ph.D.
201 West Kemp Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410
e-mail: jmstarob@uncg.edu, ph. (336) 854-8269
EDUCATION
1982 Ph.D. in Mechanics of Fluids, Moscow Physico-Technical Institute
1975 M.Sc. with Honors in Mathematical Physics, Moscow Physico -Technical Institute
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2010- present Associate Professor, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
2007- 2010 Research Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UNCG
Chief Scientist, MSTI
1999- 2007 Executive Vice President, Chief Scientist, Mediwave Star Technology, Inc. (MSTI)
1997- 1999 Visiting Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UNCG
1992- 1997 Research Associate, Duke University Medical Center
1986- 1991 Senior Scientist, Moscow State Pedagogical University, Department of Physics
1982- 1986 Senior Scientist, Moscow Research Institute of Artificial Organs,
Department of Biomedical Engineering
1975- 1982 Junior Scientist, Moscow Research Institute of Artificial Organs,
Department of Biomedical Engineering
RESEARCH GRANTS (TOTAL FUNDING $670,000)
PI - National Science Foundation Research Grant, CBET 1342051
PI - Environmental Protection Agency, Contract RFQ-RT-11-00201
CoPI - American Heart Association/Duke University, 10CRP3040018
PI - MSTI Research Grant, Electrophysiology Research Program
PI - NIH Research Grants, R43 HL078027-01, R43 HL074501-01A1
PI - Whitaker Foundation Research Grant, No. 96-0161
2013-2015
2011-2013
2010-2013
2007-2009
2004-2006
1996-1999
MEMBERSHIPS
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Member
1998-present
TEACHING (TOTAL 6 UNDERGRADUATE AND 6 GRADUATE COURSES)
 Moscow Physico-Technical Institute and Moscow State Pedagogical University, 1983-1991:
Supervision of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Lecturing on numerical methods of
applied mathematics and biomechanics;
 Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 1996: Advanced electrophysiology;
 UNCG, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2007-2010 : Introduction to modern physics
PHY321, analytical mechanics PHY323, electromagnetism PHY426, modern physics with
quantum mechanics PHY421, and supervising individual studies PHY496;
 JSNN, 2011 – present: Nanophysics NAN603, Non-linear waves in biological media NAN740
 JSNN, 2011 – present: Supervision of three graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow
 JSNN, 2013 – present: Mathematical methods in nanoscience and nanoengineering NAN 605
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
 Experimental and theoretical methods of non-invasive diagnostics of coronary artery disease,
cardiac ischemia and cardiac arrhythmias.
 Mathematical modeling and theory of nonlinear waves in excitable media.
 Nonlinear problems of computational biofluid mechanics.
 Nonlinear problems of diffraction of electromagnetic waves.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 Development and implementation of quasi-stationary analysis of QT/RR interval hysteresis
and QT/RR interval fluctuations for non-invasive diagnostics of cardiac ischemia and
arrhythmias.
 Organizing and leading interdisciplinary clinical and experimental biomedical studies in
collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, Duke Medical Center, Environmental Protection Agency,
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Moses Cone Health System
(Greensboro, NC) and UNCG Department of Exercise and Sport Science.
 Development of theory of vulnerability and rate-dependent restitution in biological excitable
media.
 Development of theory of wavefront-obstacle interactions to explain a mechanism of initiation
of cardiac tachyarrhythmias in ischemic cardiac tissue.
 Mathematical modeling of blood flows in cavities of the artificial heart.
 Development of theory of diffraction of electromagnetic waves on thin superconducting films.
GUEST LECTURES AND VISITING RESEARCH
 Invited Speaker, Environmental Protection Agency 2011, 2012
 Invited Speaker, Departments of Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University 2008
 Invited Speaker, Duke University Medical Center 2003, 2005, 2006
 Invited Speaker, Cleveland Clinic 2003 – 2006
 Invited Speaker, Naval Research Laboratory 1994, 1996,1998
 Visiting Researcher, Harvard-MIT Center for Biomedical Engineering 1996, 1998
PUBLICATIONS (TOTAL 71 PAPERS, PATENTS AND BOOK CHAPTERS)
PAPERS IN REFEREED JOURNALS
1. V.I.Shumakov, V.M.Zaiko and J.M.Starobin, Numerical modeling of the motion of a disk mitral
valve in the left cardiac ventricle. Polymer Mechanics (Sov. Mekhanika Polimerov), 1978, 14(3):407412
2. V.M.Zaiko, J.M.Starobin and A.V.Utkin, Numerical simulation of the movement of a viscous fluid
(blood) in a tube with an actively deforming wall. Mechanics of Composite Materials (Sov. Mekhanika
Kompozitnykh Materialov), 1979, 15(3):301-306
3. J.M.Starobin and V.M.Zaiko, Numerical study of the flow of a viscous fluid through a deforming
tube. Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1979, 15(4):427-431
4. V.M.Zaiko, A.V.Utkin and J.M.Starobin, Numerical modeling of the peristaltic fluid flow in a tube
with a wall that deforms according to an harmonic law. Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1979,
15(5):597-600
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5. J.M.Starobin, Flow of a viscous liquid in the gap between a moving and a fixed sphere at low
Reynolds numbers. Fluid Dynamics (Sov. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti I Gaza), 1980,
15(6):938-941
6. J.M.Starobin, Flow of a viscous liquid in a bent tube of finite length undergoing deformation. Fluid
Dynamics, 1981, (16)2:301-304
7. V.M.Zaiko, J.M.Starobin, A.N.Sharikov and Yu.V.Saakyan, Computerized system of scientific
research in artificial heart problems II. Methods and Software. In: Problems of Cybernetics,
Implementation of mathematical methods and computers in cardiology and surgery (Sov. Voprosy
Kibernetiki, Primenenie Matematicheskikh Metodov I Vychislitel’noy Tekhniki v Kardiologii I
Khirurgii), Science, Moscow, 1983, 65-87 (in Russian)
8. J.M.Starobin and V.M.Zaiko, Mathematical modeling of blood flow in cavities with moving
boundaries. In: Modern Problems of Biomechanics (Sov. Sovremennye Problemy Biomekhaniki), Riga
Academy Press, 1983, 1:59-72 (in Russian)
9. J.M.Starobin and V.M.Zaiko, Numerical modeling of blood flow in the ventricular cavity of the
artificial heart. Artificial Organs, 1983, 7(1):122-125
10. J.M.Starobin, S.P.Lupachev, R.V.Dolgopolov and Yu.A.Morov, Analysis of hydrodynamics losses
for various types of aortic valves. Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1985 21(3):349-354
11. J.M.Starobin, Comparative analysis of viscous flows in cavities and channels containing
axisymmetrical obstacles. Fluid Dynamics, 1988, 23(3):372-377
12. J.M.Starobin, N.V.Soina and S.V.Biryukov, Scattering of electromagnetic waves by a thin
conductive strip in a rectangular waveguide. University News, Radio Physics (Sov. Izvestiya Vuzov,
Radiofizika), 1988 31(12):1536-1539
13. S.V.Biryukov and J.M.Starobin, Mathematical modeling of electromagnetic wave scattering by
resistive strips in a rectangular waveguide. Electrical Engineering: UHF Electronics (Sov. Elektronnaya
tekhnika: Seriya 1, Elektronika SVCh), 1989 1(415):28-31 (in Russian)
14. S.V.Biryukov, N.V.Soina and J.M.Starobin, Mathematical modeling of electromagnetic wave
scattering on film waveguide bolometers. Electrical Engineering: UHF Electronics, 1989, 2(416):23-25
(in Russian)
15. J.M.Starobin, Electromagnetic wave scattering by metal resistive strips grating on a dielectric
substrate. University News, Radio Physics, 1990 33(5):639-642
16. J.M.Starobin, Scattering of electromagnetic waves by a resistive metal strip grating on a dielectric
substrate in a rectangular waveguide. J. of Communications Technology and Electronics (Sov.
Akademiya Nauk, Radiotekhnika I Elektronika), 1991, 36(7):24-29
17. J.M.Starobin, On the influence of edge effects on the scattering of electromagnetic waves by a thin
metallic strip in a rectangular waveguide. J. of Communications Technology and Electronics, 1990
35(14):131-134
18. V.N.Aleksandrov, E.M.Gershenson, G.N.Gol’tsman, J.M.Starobin and V.N.Trifonov, Optimization
of the sensitive element of a superconducting film bolometer. Superconductivity (Sov.
Sverkhprovodimost’: Fizika, Khimiya, Tekhnika), 1990, part 1, 3(8):1407-1415
19. J.M.Starobin, N.V.Soina, S.V.Biryukov and A.B.Ozherel’ev, Electromagnetic characteristics of the
superconducting microwave waveguide elements in the resistive state. Superconductivity, 1990, part 1,
3(10):1611-1619
20. V.N.Polotskii and J.M.Starobin, Maximum efficiency of peristaltic transport, Fluid Dynamics, 1993,
28(2):289-293
21. J.M.Starobin, Y.I.Zilberter and C.F.Starmer, Vulnerability in one-dimensional excitable media.
Physica D, 1994, 70:321-341
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22. Y.I.Zilberter, C.F.Starmer, J.M.Starobin and A.O.Grant, Late Na channels in cardiac cells: The
physiological role of background Na channels. Biophysical Journal, 1994, 67:153-160
23. S.V.Biryukov, V.A. Il’in, M.D. Kitaigorodskii, I.A.Semin, N.V.Soina, J.M.Starobin, Absorption of
microwave radiation by end-coupled Josephson junctions in the wideband-detection regime. J. of
Communications Technology and Electronics, 1994, 34(12):105-107
24. C.F.Starmer, D.N.Romashko, R.S.Reddy, Y.I.Zilberter, J.M.Starobin, A.O.Grant and V.I.Krinsky,
Proarrhythmic response to potassium channel blockade: Numerical studies of polymorphic
tachyarrhythmias. Circulation, 1995, 92:595-605
25. Y.I.Zilberter, C.F.Starmer, J.M.Starobin and A.O.Grant, Background sodium current and electrical
instabilities in cardiac cells. Biophysical Journal, 1995, 68, part 2, A158
26. J.M.Starobin, Y.I.Zilberter, E.M.Rusnak and C.F.Starmer, Wavelet formation in excitable cardiac
tissue: The role of wavefront-obstacle interactions in initiating high frequency fibrillatory-like
arrhythmias. Biophysical Journal, 1996, 70:581-594
27. J.M.Starobin and C.F.Starmer, Boundary layer analysis of waves propagating in an excitable
medium: Medium conditions for wavefront-obstacle separation. Phys. Rev. E, 1996, 54: 430-437
28. C.F.Starmer and J.M.Starobin, Spiral tip movement: The role of the action potential wavelength in
polymorphic cardiac arrhythmias. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, 1996, 6, 1909-1923
29. J.M.Starobin and C.F.Starmer, A common mechanism links spiral wave meandering and wavefrontobstacle separation. Phys. Rev. E, 1997, 55: 1193-1196
30. J.M.Starobin, C.F.Starmer and A.J.Starobin, Boundary-layer analysis of a spiral wave core: Spiral
core radius and conditions for the tip separation from the core boundary. Phys. Rev. E, 1997, 56: 37573760
31. Y.B.Chernyak, J.M.Starobin and R.J.Cohen, Class of exactly solvable models of excitable media.
Phys. Rev. Letters, 1998, 80: 5675-5678
32. Y.B.Chernyak, J.M.Starobin and R.J.Cohen, Where do dispersion curves end? A basic question in
theory of excitable media. Phys. Rev. E, 1998, 58: 4108-4111
33. I.B.Schwartz, I.Triandaf, J.M.Starobin and Y.B.Chernyak, Origin of quasiperiodic dynamics in
excitable media. Phys. Rev. E, 2000, 61: 7208 – 7211
34. M.S.Lauer, C.E.Pothier, Y.B.Chernyak, R.Brunken, M.Lieber, C.Apperson-Hansen and
J.M.Starobin, Exercise-induced QT/RR interval hysteresis as a predictor of myocardial ischemia. J. of
Electrocardiology, 2006, 39: 315-323
35. J.M.Starobin, W.E. Cascio, A.H.Goldfarb, V.Varadarajan, A.J.Starobin, C.P.Danford and
T.A.Johnson, Identifying coronary flow reduction and ischemia using quasi-stationary QT/RR interval
hysteresis measurements. J. of Electrocardiology, 2007, 40: S91 – S96
36. V.N.Polotski , V.Varadarajan, A.J.Starobin, C.P.Danford , W.E. Cascio, T.A.Johnson, J.M.Starobin,
Relation between cardiac restitution and flow limitation in an experimental model of coronary artery
disease. J. of Electrocardiology, 2008, 41: 646
37. J.M.Starobin, C.P.Danford, V.Varadarajan, A.J.Starobin, V.N.Polotski, Critical scale of propagation
influences dynamics of waves in a model of excitable medium. Nonlinear Biomedical Physics, 2009, 3:4
38. C.P.Danford, V.Varadarajan, A.J.Starobin, V.N.Polotski, J.M.Starobin, Cardiac restitution and
electrographic stress testing. J. of Electrocardiology, 2009, 42: 619
39. J.M.Starobin, V.Varadarajan, Entrainment of marginally stable excitation waves by spatially
extended sub-threshold periodic forcing. Nonlinear Biomedical Physics, 2011, 5:8
40. S.A.Vance, E.Zeidan, L.B.Williams, J.M.Starobin, M.G.Sandros, An easy method to synthesize
carbon-coated quantum dots. Nano LIFE, 2013, 3: 1340006(1-6)
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41. J.M.Starobin, V.Varadarajan, H.E.Reilly, J.Brinkley, W. Krassowska Neu, S.F.Idriss, N. Peterson, E.
Kyritsis, A. Movahed, and W.E.Cascio QT/RR interval hysteresis and stability of propagation reserve in
the heart: Pilot study in revascularized patients, ISRN Cardiology Research and Practice (submitted),
2013
BOOK CHAPTERS AND REVIEW ARTICLES
1. C.F.Starmer and J.M.Starobin, Antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic mechanisms in cardiac tissue:
Linking spiral waves, reentrant arrhythmias and electrocardiographic patterns. In: Spooner P.M., Joyner
R.W., Jalife J. (eds.) Discontinuous Conduction in the Heart. Futura Publishing Company, Armonk, NY,
1997, pp.321-394
2. Y.B.Chernyak and J.M.Starobin, Characteristic and critical excitation length scales in 1D and 2D
simulations of reentrant cardiac arrhythmias using simple two-variable models. Critical Reviews in
Biomedical Engineering, 1999, 27: 359 – 414
3. J.M. Starobin, Yuri B. Chernyak, A role of a critical excitation length scale in dynamics of reentrant
cardiac arrhythmias, Herz Schrittmachertherapie & Electro-physiologie, 1999, 10(2): 119-136
4. J.M.Starobin, S.S.Gilani, S.Aravamudhan Applications of micro/nanotechnology to design and
control of neural interfaces. In: Kelkar A. (ed.) Advances in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.CRC
Press, 2013 (submitted)
PATENTS
1. J.M.Starobin, V.M.Zaiko Method of testing the cardio-vascular system during cardio-surgical
operations, 1986, USSR patent No. 1263223
2. S.P.Dolgopolov, G.V.Morov, J.M.Starobin Hydrodynamic device for testing the heart artificial
valves, 1986, USSR patent No. 1299586
3. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia, US Patent No.
6,361,503, 2002
4. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia, US Patent No.
6,663,572, 2003
5. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia with RR-interval
data sets and pulse or blood pressure monitoring, US Patent No. 6,656,126, 2003
6. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia with RR-interval
data sets, US Patent No.6,652,467, 2003
7. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia with an abrupt stop
exercise protocol, US Patent No. 6,648,830, 2003
8. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating and locating cardiac ischemia, US
Patent No. 6,648,829, 2003
9. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia with heart rate
feedback, US Patent No.6,768,919, 2004
10. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating cardiac ischemia with an exercise
protocol, US Patent No.7,104,961, 2006
11. J.M.Starobin, Y.B.Chernyak Method and system for evaluating arrhythmia risk with QT-RR
interval data sets, US Patent No.7,123,953, 2006
12. J. M. Starobin, V. Varadarajan, Method and system of stimulation of nerve tissue with a sequence of
spatially distributed resonant sub-threshold electrical stimuli, U.S. Patent Application No. 61/424,758,
2010 (pending)
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13. J.M. Starobin, V. Varadarajan, W. Krassowska Neu, S.F. Idriss, Method and system for evaluating
stability of propagation reserve, U.S. Patent Application No. 61/506,289, 2011 (pending)
PAPERS IN REFEREED CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
1.V.M.Zaiko and J.M.Starobin, Numerical study of viscous flow in deforming tube. In: Proceedings of
the 7th International Congress of Biomechanics, Baltimore, University Park Press, 1979, vol. 3a, 609616
2. J.M.Starobin, Y.I.Zilberter and C.F.Starmer, Unexcitable zones as a source of spiral waves initiation
and cardiac arrhythmias. In: Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Conference of the IEEE
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Baltimore, 1994 vol.16, part 1, 5-6
3. J.M.Starobin and V.N.Polotskii, About the maximum efficiency of peristaltic transport. In:
Proceedings of the Second World Congress of Biomechanics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1994, vol.1,
124
4. J.M.Starobin, Comparative analysis of viscous flows in cavities and channels containing the obstacles.
In: Proceedings of the Second World Congress of Biomechanics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1994,
vol.1, 119
5. J.M.Starobin, Y.I.Zilberter and C.F.Starmer, Conditions for wavefront separation from an unexcitable
obstacle in cardiac tissue of low excitability. In: Proceedings of the 17th Annual International
Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Montreal, Canada, September 2023, 1995
6. J.M.Starobin and C.F.Starmer, Spiral wave meandering, wavefront-obstacle separation and cardiac
arrhythmias. In: Proceedings of International Conference “Computers in Cardiology 96”, Indianapolis,
Indiana, USA, September 8-11, IEEE Inc., 1996, 233-236
7. J.M.Starobin, J.M.Wharton and G.S.Shander, Comparative analysis of polymorphic ventricular
tachyarrhythmias and fibrillation: Clinical observations and numerical experiments. In: Proceedings of
International Conference “Computers in Cardiology 98”, Cleveland, USA, September 13-16, vol. 1, 2528, IEEE Inc., 1998
8. J.M.Starobin, Y.B. Chernyak and R.J.Cohen, Tachyarrhythmias and electrical instabilities in cardiac
tissue. In: Proceedings of International Conference “Computers in Cardiology 98”, Cleveland, USA,
September 13-16, vol.1, 365-368, IEEE Inc., 1998
9. A.H.Goldfarb, M.J.McKenzie, T.A.Johnson, W.E.Cascio, D. Aycock, J.M.Starobin, Production of
protein carbonyls, IL-6 and creatine kinase in paced hearts during regional cardiac flow reduction. In:
Proceedings of American College of Sports Medicine Conference, 2006
10. Starobin, J. M., Varadarajan, V., Danford, C. P. , Starobin, A. J. , Polotski, V. N. , T.A.Johnson,
W.E.Cascio, (2009). Using a theoretical model of cardiac tissue to assess coronary flow reduction. In:
Proceedings of 8th International Congress on Coronary Artery Disease, 2009, Prague, Czech Republic,
Medimond S.R.L., 371-375.
11. V. Varadarajan, V.N. Polotski, C.P. Danford, A.J. Starobin, J.M. Starobin, (2009). Assessing QTRR interval hysteresis in 12-lead electrocardiograms. In: Proceedings Computers in Cardiology, 2009,
Park City, UT, USA, 36, 273-276.
12. J.M. Starobin, V. Varadarajan, V. N.Polotski, Evaluation of restitution slopes using a quasistationary exercise protocol. In: Proceedings Computing in Cardiology, 2010, Belfast, Ireland, 37, 777780.
13. J.M. Starobin, V. Varadarajan, S. Aravamudhan, High-density peripheral nerve resonant stimulation
system. In: Proceedings BMES - Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Hartford,
Connecticut, October 2011
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14. S.F. Idriss, W. Krassowska Neu, V. Varadarajan, T. Antonijevic, S.S. Gilani, J.M.Starobin,
Feasibility of non-invasive determination of the stability of propagation reserve in patients. In:
Proceedings Computing in Cardiology, 2012, Krakow, Poland, 39, 353-356.
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