Richard Scolyer, a pioneering researcher, died at age 59. He was diagnosed with an incurable and aggressive stage four brain cancer named glioblastoma in June 2023, at age 56. Scolyer underwent a world-first experimental treatment for brain cancer based on his own melanoma research, which extended his life and generated scientific data for future therapies, according to one report. He collaborated with Professor Georgina Long on groundbreaking skin cancer research that transformed melanoma from a death sentence to largely curable through immune system-activating treatment. Scolyer was named the 2024 Australian of the Year. According to one report, immunotherapy before surgery and a personalised vaccine helped stave off the disease for almost two years. He is survived by his wife, Dr Katie Nicoll, and his three children, Emily, Matt and Lucy, according to one report. According to one report, Scolyer wrote a final message urging Australians to 'pursue their dreams and passion with humility, love and compassion'. According to one report, he described his childhood memories as 'mostly happy', having spent it doing 'all the normal things', like biking and footy.