Renowned Melanoma Expert Richard Scolyer Dies at 59

Professor Richard Scolyer, a world-renowned pathologist, melanoma researcher, and joint Australian of the Year for 2024, died in Sydney on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at the age of 59. He had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma brain tumor in May 2023.

Scolyer, a senior staff specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and co-medical director of the Melanoma Institute Australia, chose to undergo a pioneering experimental treatment for his cancer. The treatment, proposed by his colleague Professor Georgina Long, was based on immunotherapy approaches they had developed for advanced melanoma. Scolyer became the first brain tumor patient to receive a combination of three immunotherapy drugs before surgery, along with an anticancer vaccine. He underwent extensive testing to generate scientific data, recognizing the treatment carried significant risk but offered a unique opportunity to advance research.

His public and candid documentation of his journey through social media, interviews, and a memoir, "Brainstorm," resonated widely across Australia. In an open letter published upon his passing, Scolyer wrote that he had shared his experience to provide transparency for patients and...