Shannon previously served as the Director of the Surgical Outcomes Center for Kids at the Monroe Carell Jr Hospital at Vanderbilt University, was a Research Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and a bench-to-bedside Research Director for the Vanderbilt University Medical School Research Immersion Program.

As a funded investigator, Shannon’s research includes the natural history, epidemiology, and outcomes related to neurosurgical, urologic, plastics, cardiac, and high-risk fetal/neonatal-related diagnoses. She is the lead investigator in the development of the Chiari Health Index for Pediatrics (CHIP), the first disease-specific patient-centered outcome for Chiari Malformation Type I and Syringomyelia (CMI+SM) in children.

Additional research expertise includes comparative effectiveness, health disparities, and cost-effectiveness analysis. In recognition of her devotion to her trainees and her commitment to scientific integrity, in 2018, Shannon was the recipient of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Elaine Sanders-Bush Award for Excellence in Teaching. Since 2020, Shannon has served as the Chief Education and Science Officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) where she oversees all professional development for trainees and professionals in the field of reproductive medicine and directs the $15M endowed ASRM Research Institute which provides bench-to-bedside research funding. 

Patient Appointments and Questions
205-934-7170

Education

Bachelor of Science, Finance
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Masters in Public Health, Epidemiology
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Masters in Public Health, Maternal, and Child 
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Masters in Business Administration
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL

Awards and Honors

• Elaine Sanders-Bush Excellence in Teaching Award (2018)
• Nominee, Robert Wood Johnson, Ladder to LeadershipFellowship Award (2009)
• Nominee, Leadership Birmingham (2008)
• MCH Section Student Fellow Award, American Public Health Association (2003-2004)
• Maternal and Child Health Training Scholarship, UAB School of Public Health (2002-2006)