Renowned Cancer Researcher Richard Scolyer Passes Away at 59

Prof Richard Scolyer, a world‑renowned cancer researcher and former Australian of the Year, has died at age 59.

His family released a statement written by the eminent pathologist and melanoma specialist shortly before his final days.

“My final message to all Australians is to thank you for the outpouring of love and support for my family and me,” he said.

“I have met many of you while serving as joint 2024 Australian of the Year, my global online community across numerous countries, and, of course, my fellow Tasmanians – you’ve laughed with me, cried with me, and offered encouragement that helped me keep going when I needed it most,” he added.

“I have not sugar‑coated my journey, and I sincerely thank you for giving me the space to share it with you, warts and all. I hope I have, in some small way, made the road ahead easier and smoother for others.”

“If my legacy lives on beyond these words, I would be honoured to be remembered as a proud everyday Australian who ‘gave it a crack,’ thereby inspiring others to pursue their dreams and passions with humility, love and compassion.”

Scolyer was diagnosed with grade‑IV, inoperable brain cancer and initially given six to eight months to live in May 2023. In a world‑first approach, he received a series of novel immunotherapy treatments that slowed the growth of his glioblastoma until its recurrence in early 2025.

In March, he announced on his Facebook page that his cancer had progressed.

“Not the best day ever,” he wrote. “There appears to be further progression of my brain tumour… While disappointing, in the broader picture it is not the end of the road and I still have much to do,” he added.

A week earlier, he told his 150,000 followers that he felt “a bit anxious” about an upcoming brain scan, which was scheduled shortly before he was to participate in a four‑day leg of the Tour de Cure charity cycling event in Tasmania, the state where he was born and raised.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the world had lost “one of our brightest lights and one of our biggest hearts.”

“Professor Scolyer embraced the national spotlight with determination and purpose as he publicly confronted his glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer,” the Prime Minister said.

“Every day, this remarkable man – a cancer specialist who became his own subject – invited us into his confidence and lifted us all in the process,” the Prime Minister added.

“Richard’s journey was difficult and confronting… yet he travelled it with courage, determination, and a grace that never ceased to be remarkable,” the Prime Minister said.

“The way he shared his experience with us was an act of profound generosity. He showed us what it means to hope and to keep searching for solutions,” the Prime Minister added.

“He showed us how to stand firm against fear and stay true to ourselves,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Professor John Thompson of the University of Sydney praised Professor Scolyer’s “cheery, down‑to‑earth ‘lad from Launceston’ personality.”

“His stellar career in medicine and pathology research has produced enormous benefits for countless cancer patients worldwide,” he said.

Scolyer and his co‑medical director at the Melanoma Institute Australia, Georgina Long, were jointly named Australian of the Year in 2024 in recognition of their work on immunotherapy for advanced melanoma.

He received nine New South Wales Premier’s awards for Outstanding Cancer Research, including the Wildfire Highly Cited Publication award, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2021.

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