All roads led to MD Anderson for nursing institute head

For Sadie Hutson, Ph.D., her decision to lead MD Anderson’s Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing reflects decades of dedication to oncology nursing and research, and personal resilience as both a caregiver and a patient.

A calling born from her mother’s advice

When Hutson was six years old, her mother, Joy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She saw her mother get chemotherapy, radiation therapy, a radical mastectomy, and eventually, end-of-life care.

Joy passed away at their family home in Wisconsin a few weeks after her 40^th birthday. Before she died, she gave her daughter this advice: “Pursue your education. It’s one of the few things in life that can never be taken away.”

A self-described “extreme empath,” Hutson was deeply moved by the compassionate and skillful nurses who cared for her mother throughout her treatment. She set out to become a nurse, driven by the desire to offer the same comfort and expertise that brought her mother solace.

Passion for nursing research

“When I was a nursing student, I had an amazing professor and mentor who recognized my interest in research. She said she would write me a letter of recommendation for graduate school if I promised to apply for a Ph.D. program,” Hutson recalls. “At that time, there wasn’t much talk about evidence-based practice, and there was a disconnect between research and the bedside care of patients.”

Hutson earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, where she began to explore the psychosocial impact of living with chronic illness, particularly in underserved populations. For over two decades, she lived and worked in Appalachia, researching hereditary cancer syndromes, advanced care planning among persons with HIV, and patient care dynamics.

“I love working with families with a high genetic risk of cancer—not just the patient, but the whole family. Everyone is affected,” she explains.

Before arriving at MD Anderson, Hutson led a cancer genetics program for 15 years in Eastern Kentucky and developed nurse-led research initiatives, including multiple psychosocial and behavioral projects as a staff scientist with the Clinical Genetics Branch of the National Cancer Institute. She also spent 12 years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in multiple positions, including executive associate dean of Academic Affairs.

Becoming a breast cancer patient at MD Anderson

Hutson was diagnosed with the same type of breast cancer as her mother in 2023. MD Anderson was her first call.

“There was no question in my mind – I was coming to MD Anderson,” she says. She relocated from Tennessee to Houston for seven months to complete treatment, which included chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy and reconstruction. She speaks highly of her breast cancer surgeon, Abigail Caudle, M.D., and the many nurses and medical and support staff who cared for her.

“Since being diagnosed with breast cancer, the interactions I have with patients and families have only deepened,” Hutson says. “I’ve become a better human being, a better nurse clinician and a better scientist.” 

Elevating the future of nursing

For Hutson, all roads have led to MD Anderson — and now, she’s paving the way for countless others to follow. She’s working with teams to develop short and long-term priorities for the Meyers Institute’s four focus areas: Nursing Scholarship, Nursing Innovation, Growth and Well-being, and the Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy.

“What excites me the most is opening doors for nurses at all levels to grow, whether that’s clinically or through scholarship or leadership opportunities,” she says. “Nursing is so much more than bedside care. The Meyers Institute can show nurses the many paths they can take and how they can influence change.”

Hutson says she wants MD Anderson to be the ultimate destination for oncology nurses. “This is where leaders emerge, nurse-led innovations flourish and nursing science sets the global standard,” she says.

Learn about nursing careers at MD Anderson.