Australian pathologist Richard Scolyer passed away on June 7 at the age of 59, three years after being diagnosed with aggressive glioblastoma.
Scolyer made headlines around the world as the first patient to receive neoadjuvant combination immunotherapy for glioblastoma. A co-director of the Melanoma Institute Australia, he was inspired by the remarkable improvement in survival rates in melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy, hypothesizing that similar results would be seen in glioblastoma.
Subsequent brain scans revealed a positive immune response in the brain, sparking a clinical study to try to replicate the results. The story is described in Scolyer’s autobiography, “Brainstorm,” published in 2024.
Together with his colleague, oncologist Georgina Long, Scolyer leaves a legacy of lifesaving research into melanoma. Honored in The Pathologist Power List in 2024, he wrote, “Coming from Australia where melanoma has the highest incidence of any country in the world, it is important that we address this problem. With our large research database, enormous biospecimen bank and numerous difficult consultation cases, we have extraordinary opportunities to tackle some very challenging melanoma problems.”
He and Long were named Australians of the Year in 2024. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Scolyer "one of our biggest hearts," saying, "Every day, this remarkable man – the cancer specialist who became his own subject – took us into his confidence, and he lifted us all in the process."
Announcing his passing on social media, The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) wrote, “Prof Scolyer’s intellect, generosity, and unwavering commitment to medicine have created a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire the College, its members and future generations of clinicians and researchers.”
In his honor, RCPA unveiled The Richard Scolyer Innovation Oration at the Plenary Session of its meeting in March.
Scolyer is survived by his wife Katie Nicholl, a fellow pathologist, and their three children.
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