Shannon Brines

Shannon Brines is an Applied Geographer and Lecturer at the University of Michigan, managing the Environmental Spatial Analysis Laboratory. He specializes in sustainable food systems, agriculture, public health, and environmental informatics. His work bridges academic research with community engagement, focusing on food access equity, land use planning, and climate resilience.

Brines actively serves on multiple local food initiatives including the Slow Food Huron Valley board (vice-chair), HomeGrown Festival, Local Food Summit steering committees, and the Greenbelt Advisory Commission. He established Brines Farm in 2004 to promote year-round sustainable agriculture and has expanded into permaculture stewardship of an 80-acre historical farm since 2012.

His research spans geospatial analysis of food systems, urban environmental health, and disaster resilience. Notable projects include USDA-funded Michigan food access studies and participatory GIS work with the Center for Social Epidemiology.

Articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches to environmental monitoring (e.g., UAV bioaerosol sampling) and community-based research on food deserts, teen driving safety, and diabetes management in marginalized populations.