Tributes paid to pioneering pathologist who tested experimental treatment

Melanoma Institute Australia

By Erin Dean

A pioneering Australian pathologist who helped transform melanoma care has died three years after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.

Tributes have poured in for Professor Richard Scolyer, who tested an experimental treatment based on his own research after discovering he had glioblastoma.

In an open letter Scolyer wrote to be published on his death, he said: “My final message to all Australians is to say thank you for your outpouring of love and support for me and my family.”

The doctor, named as Australian of the Year in 2024 alongside his colleague Professor Georgina Long, added: “Having dedicated my 35-year working life to patient care, cancer research and improving lives, I wanted to keep contributing, even in my darkest hour.”

Scolyer, who died at the age of 59, charted his journey after his diagnosis through social media.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to "one of our brightest lights and one of our biggest hearts".