Shannon is originally from Utah and did her undergraduate education in Anthropology at the University of Utah. She completed medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she discovered her love of helping underserved populations. She then completed an internship in General Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a residency in Emergency Medicine at Loyola University in Maywood, IL. During residency, Shannon discovered her passion for critical care and her fascination with ECMO, which brought her to Emory. She remains active in the American College of Emergency Physicians International Ambassador Program, aiming to help start a residency and strengthen emergency care in Belize City, Belize. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time outside with her husband, Sadegh, and their dog, Meatball.