Vale Professor Richard Scolyer: Marrickville Hero Who Changed Cancer Treatment Forever

The world-renowned melanoma researcher leaves an extraordinary legacy of courage, compassion and life-saving medical breakthroughs.

Professor Richard Scolyer was a world-renowned melanoma pathologist whose groundbreaking work saved countless lives. A proud member of the Marrickville community, Scolyer's remarkable career was defined not only by scientific excellence but also by extraordinary courage during his own battle with an aggressive brain cancer.

Born in Tasmania, Scolyer studied medicine before embarking on a career in pathology. He eventually became a leading figure at the Melanoma Institute Australia and a professor at the University of Sydney. Over more than two decades, he helped reshape the global understanding of melanoma, one of Australia's most common and deadly cancers.

His research played a pivotal role in the development of immunotherapy treatments that have dramatically improved survival rates for patients with advanced melanoma. Once considered almost untreatable after spreading through the body, advanced melanoma is now a disease from which many patients can recover and live long, healthy lives.

Alongside colleague and friend Professor Georgina Long, Scolyer led research that revolutionised cancer treatment. Their achievements earned them joint recognition as the 2024 Australian of the Year recipients, recognising both their scientific contributions and their unwavering commitment to improving patient outcomes.

In 2023, Scolyer's life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Rather than accepting the grim prognosis, he chose to become the first patient to undergo a world-first treatment based on the very immunotherapy principles he had helped pioneer for melanoma.

Working closely with Long and fellow researchers, he underwent an experimental approach that had never before been attempted in a human brain cancer patient. The treatment extended his life well beyond initial expectations and generated invaluable data that may help future patients facing the disease.

Throughout his illness, Scolyer shared his journey publicly with remarkable honesty, optimism and generosity. He continued to advocate for medical research, support cancer patients and participate in community events, inspiring Australians with his resilience and determination. Friends, colleagues and patients admired not only his brilliance but also his humility, kindness and compassion.

Professor Richard Scolyer passed away in June 2026 at the age of 59. His legacy endures in laboratories, hospitals and research centres around the world. More importantly, it lives on in the thousands of people whose lives have been extended or saved through treatments he helped develop.

Brave and committed to the very last, Professor Richard Scolyer leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary medical breakthroughs and an enduring example of how to live with dignity, grace and humanity.

In his honour, Inner West Council recently announced that the Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre will be renamed the Richard Scolyer Aquatic Centre, ensuring his contribution to both the local community and global medicine will never be forgotten.

16 December 1966 – 7 June 2026

Read more on Marrickville HERE.