Keith Even Schubert, Ph.D.

Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering | Baylor University

Waco, TX, UNITED STATES

Keith Even Schubert, Ph.D. is professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Baylor University.

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Biography

Dr. Schubert is a full professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Baylor University. His interest areas are the fast, numerically stable solution of large, sparse problems, particularly for medical imaging and treatment; the design of electrical and embedded systems for medical and biological applications; the patterned growth of extremeophiles and the search for life in space; and the mathematical modeling of synchronization. Dr. Schubert has been a team leader on the December 2012 National Geographic expedition to Cueva de Villa Luz in Mexico and his work made the cover article of National Geographic July 2013. Dr. Schubert has worked on medical projects with Loma Linda University (LLU), LLU Medical Center, University of California San Francisco, Baylor Scott and White Medical centers in Dallas and Temple, and holds an adjunct full professor position at LLU. Dr. Schubert's medical projects range from developing proton computed tomography, to functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain monitoring to artificial intelligence for colonoscopy. He has more than 80 peer reviewed publications.

Areas of Expertise (13)

Digital Logic

Aerospace Engineering

Optimization

Imaging and 3d Reconstruction

Numerical Linear Algebra

Numerical Analysis

Robust and Uncertain Systems

Scientific Computing

Control Systems

Applied Mathematics

Filtering

Bio-medical Applications of Computer Science and Engineering

Computer Architecture

Education (3)

University of California, Santa Barbara: Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Control Systems 2003

Minors: Applied Mathematics and Signals and Communication Dissertation: A New Look at Estimation

University of California, Los Angeles: M.S., Electrical Engineering, Control Systems 1992

Minors: Applied Mathematics and Digital Signal Processing Project: Guidance and Control of Amateur Rockets

University of Redlands: B.S., General Engineering 1991

Minor: Mathematics Project: Solar Desalination Honors: Dean’s List (multiple times), Cum Laude

Affiliations (7)

IEEE - Senior Member
IEEE Computer Society - Member
SIAM - Member
Bioinformatics Organization, Inc. - Member
International Association of Engineers - Member
Golden Key Honor Society - Member
Gamma Lambda Chapter of Phi Beta Delta, the Honor Society for International Scholars - Member

Media Appearances (10)

Professor provides tips to photograph eclipse

KCEN-TV Ch. 6 (Waco, Temple, Killeen/NBC) tv

2017-08-17

Keith Schubert, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering in Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, provides tips to viewers who hope to take photos of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse. Schubert warns that failure to take proper precautions could damage viewers’ eyes or their cameras.

Solar Eclipse Selfies? Baylor Expert Shares Safety Tips for Taking Photos of Aug. 21 Phenomenon

Baylor Media & Public Relations online

2017-08-16

Monday’s solar eclipse will draw millions of eyes toward the sun to see the long-awaited phenomenon. And while it’s tempting to capture the sight with your camera or smartphone, a Baylor University engineer and imaging expert says it’s best to play it safe – for the photographer and for the camera.

Be safe when capturing the eclipse

Fox 44 News online

2017-08-17

We will all want to take pictures and video of the solar eclipse. But do you know how to get those pictures without damaging your camera or phone? One of the most important things to know is to not use a DSLR camera, where you have to look through an eye piece. Those cameras reflect light back into your camera, where it can cause eye damage.

2014-15 Big 12 Academic Minute - Baylor - Extreme Environments

Big 12 Conference tv

2015-08-12

Baylor professor Keith Schubert’s research in the biological patterns of life forms here on earth could provide a universal signature for life on other planets.

The Hunt for Life Beyond Earth: One of the Oldest Questions May be Answered in our Lifetimes

National Geographic online

2014-07-01

One of the oldest questions may be answered in our lifetimes. Are we alone?

Baylor Professor featured in National Geographic for Work in Extreme Environments

Baylor Media Communications online

2014-06-23

When looking at the series of photos on Keith Schubert’s computer screen, most people will likely see what they believe is some sort of black goo arranged like an intricate maze on a rock wall. But Schubert, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in Baylor University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, sees life. Specifically, he sees patterns of life.

Life Patterns in Extreme Environments

Baylor Media & Public Relations online

2013-12-01

In December 2013, Keith Schubert, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in Baylor University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, was a key player on a team of academic and NASA scientists who explored Cueva de Villa Luz, a cave suffused with deadly sulfuric acid near Tapijulapa in Mexico, as part of an expedition funded by the National Geographic Society.

A more accurate reconstruction system matrix for quantitative proton computed tomography

Journal of Medical Physics online

2009-09-09

An accurate system matrix is required for quantitative proton CT (pCT) image reconstruction with iterative projection algorithms. The system matrix is composed of chord lengths of individual proton path intersections with reconstruction pixels.

A maximum likelihood proton path formalism for application in proton computed tomography

Journal of Medical Physics online

2008-10-13

The limited spatial resolution in proton computed tomography (pCT) in comparison to x-ray CT is related to multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS) within the imaged object. The current generation pCT design utilizes silicon detectors that measure the position and direction of individual protons prior to and post-traversing the patient to maximize the knowledge of the path of the proton within the imaged object.

Software-Based Algorithm for Modeling and Correction of Gradient Nonlinearity Distortions in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Journal of Medical Physics online

2008-10-13

Articles (4)

Entropy of Parallel Execution and Communication

International Journal of Networking and Computing

Ernesto Gomez, Zongqi “Ritchie” Cai, Keith Evan Schubert

2017 We propose a definition of parallel state, derive a phase space from this state, and calculate the entropy of states and full executions using combinatorial analysis. A main contribution of this work is the introduction of an experimentally measurable phase space, which we then use to analyze execution states, ensembles of states, and ensembles of complete executions. We show that the entropy analysis reveals both expected and unexpected features of execution, and application of principal component analysis shows capability to extract execution details at the level of individual process states, as well as reveal hardware properties such as network or memory communications.

Operation of the Preclinical Head Scanner for Proton CT

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

K.E. Schubert, et al.

2016 We report on the operation and performance tests of a preclinical head scanner developed for proton computed tomography (pCT). After extensive preclinical testing, pCT is intended to be employed in support of proton therapy treatment planning and pre-treatment verification in patients undergoing particle-beam therapy. In order to assess the performance of the scanner, we have performed CT scans with 200 MeV protons from both the synchrotron of the Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) and the cyclotron of the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center (NMCPC). The very high sustained rate of data acquisition, exceeding one million protons per second, allowed a full 360° scan to be completed in less than 7 min. The reconstruction of various phantoms verified accurate reconstruction of the proton relative stopping power (RSP) and the spatial resolution in a variety of materials. The dose for an image with better than 1% uncertainty in the RSP is found to be close to 1 mGy.

Evaluation of Mathematical Algorithms for Automatic Patient Alignment in Radiosurgery

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment

Keith E, Schubert, et al.

2014 Image registration techniques based on anatomical features can serve to automate patient alignment for intracranial radiosurgery procedures in an effort to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the alignment process as well as potentially eliminate the need for implanted fiducial markers. To explore this option, four two-dimensional (2D) image registration algorithms were analyzed: the phase correlation technique, mutual information (MI) maximization, enhanced correlation coefficient (ECC) maximization, and the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. Digitally reconstructed radiographs from the treatment planning computed tomography scan of a human skull were used as the reference images, while orthogonal digital x-ray images taken in the treatment room were used as the captured images to be aligned. The accuracy of aligning the skull with each algorithm was compared to the alignment of the currently practiced procedure, which is based on a manual process of selecting common landmarks, including implanted fiducials and anatomical skull features. Of the four algorithms, three (phase correlation, MI maximization, and ECC maximization) demonstrated clinically adequate (ie, comparable to the standard alignment technique) translational accuracy and improvements in speed compared to the interactive, user-guided technique; however, the ICP algorithm failed to give clinically acceptable results. The results of this work suggest that a combination of different algorithms may provide the best registration results. This research serves as the initial groundwork for the translation of automated, anatomy-based 2D algorithms into a real-world system for 2D-to-2D image registration and alignment for intracranial radiosurgery. This may obviate the need for invasive implantation of fiducial markers into the skull and may improve treatment room efficiency and accuracy.

Algebra of Synchronization with Application to Deadlock and Semaphores

Journal of Networking and Computing

Ernesto E. Gomez, Keith Schubert

2011 Modern multiprocessor architectures have exacerbated problems of coordinating access to shared data, in particular as regards to the possibility of deadlock. For example semaphores, one of the most basic synchronization primitives, present difficulties. Djikstra defined semaphores to solve the problem of mutual exclusion. Practical implementation of the concept has, however, produced semaphores that are prone to deadlock, even while the original definition is theoretically free of it. This is not simply due to bad programming, but we have lacked a theory that allows us to understand the problem. We introduce a formal definition and new general theory of synchronization. We illustrate its applicability by deriving basic deadlock properties, to show where the problem lies with semaphores and also to guide us in finding some simple modifications to semaphores that greatly ameliorate the problem. We suggest some future directions for deadlock resolution that also avoid resource starvation.