Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Gatson is the mother of four children ages 29, 27, 18, and 10 – they, in her word, “My greatest achievements!”

Dr. Gatson’s practice philosophy is based on extending not just the length of life, but also the quality of life.  She practices from the space that, “Treatment should not be worse than the disease.”  Recognizing that LIFE is truly the longest thing we will every do, she focuses on teaching patients how to LIVE well.   Dr. Gatson is on her humanitarian purpose to preserve the essence of humanness - thinking, speaking, moving, emoting, and sensing.   

Dr. Gatson is the Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology, leading a multidisciplinary brain tumor program at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, AZ.  She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, PA.  Dr. Gatson completed undergraduate training at Indiana University before going to The Ohio State University (OSU), in Columbus, OH, where she spent the next 15 years completing a dual doctorate MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program (earning a PhD in Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics).  During that time, she also completed neurology residency and an enfolded NIH/R25-funded neurosurgery research post-doctoral fellowship there at OSU.  Dr. Gatson then moved to Houston, TX where she completed her final years of training as a neuro-oncology fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Dr. Gatson now passionately leads within her discipline writing international brain tumor guidelines and educating within the field around issues in the neuro-oncology of women.  Dr. Gatson is the CEO and Founder of Living Oncology, dedicated to improving patient and provider health literacy.  

Academically, Dr. Gatson enjoys population science, brain tumor imaging, and mentoring medical trainees.  Personally, she enjoys meditating, traveling with family, weightlifting, creative writing, motivational speaking, and the performing arts.