Kenneth Matthews

Kenneth Matthews serves as the Dr. Charles Smith Distinguished Professor of Medical Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University's College of Science. He concurrently holds adjunct appointments at LSU's Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences (as Faculty Manager of the Small Animal Imaging Facility), LSU Health Sciences Center's Department of Radiology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

His academic background includes:

• B.A. in Chemistry and Physics from Austin College (1990)
• Ph.D. in Medical Physics from The University of Chicago (1997)
• Diplomate certification from the American Board of Radiology (2001)

Matthews' research centers on medical imaging physics with emphasis on nuclear medicine applications. His laboratory develops novel imaging systems including X-ray interferometry for lung disease diagnosis (COPD/COVID-19), endorectal digital prostate tomosynthesis (endoDPT), and synchrotron-based techniques. He maintains active interests in radiation protection, shielding design, and radiobiology, particularly regarding Auger electron therapy and radioiodine monitoring. Translational research bridging engineering solutions to clinical applications defines his approach.

Analysis of his 2015-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Advanced imaging system development (prostate tomosynthesis, X-ray interferometry), (2) Radiation safety protocols (shielding for radiopharmaceuticals, uranium series decay analysis), and (3) Cancer therapy innovations (electromagnetically induced osmotic lysis, VMAT radiotherapy). These works consistently integrate physics principles with clinical oncology and nuclear medicine applications.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (2017)
• LSU College of Science Teaching Excellence Award (2018)
• Southwest AAPM Robert J. Shalek Award (2020)

As an educator, Matthews has supervised 19 MS and 3 PhD theses while serving on 57 graduate committees across multiple disciplines. He founded LSU's Physics & Astronomy REU program (2010-2018), mentoring 110 undergraduates. His $10M+ grant portfolio features NIH, NSF, American Cancer Society, and DoD funding for projects including breast cancer interferometry imaging, VMAT radiotherapy optimization, and lung disease diagnostics. Current grants focus on clinical translation of imaging technologies through industry partnerships.

He directs the Small Animal Imaging Facility and collaborates with the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration and Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics, maintaining active roles in the AAPM Southwest Chapter (serving as Treasurer 2020-2024) and RSNA educational initiatives.