Professor Richard Scolyer’s contribution to brain cancer research and advocacy will be continued and further celebrated with a new position named in his honour at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
The Albanese Government is committing $5.9 million to establish the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research.
The funding will be used to support the salaries of the Professorial Chair, as well as Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Assistants and PhD Scholarships, along with research costs.
The investment will provide strong leadership to accelerate brain cancer research, expand clinical trials and help translate research into better outcomes for patients.
Professor Scolyer AO, the 2024 joint Australian of the Year with Professor Georgina Long AO, is a renowned pathologist and melanoma researcher who has made remarkable contributions to medical research, particularly in the field of melanoma and skin cancers research.
He has also inspired many through his own cancer journey after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2023.
He was the first in the world to receive combination immunotherapy before surgery, and a personalised vaccine to treat his glioblastoma.
This experimental treatment approach – adapted from his own melanoma immunotherapy research – saw him become both a patient and a research subject.
Brain cancer is rare but aggressive, accounting for an estimated 1,924 new diagnoses, and 1,579 deaths in 2023.
The funding builds on other Australian Government funding to accelerate brain cancer research, including $50 million for the Australian Brain Cancer Mission and $83.9 million through the National Health Medical Research Council and Cancer Australia.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
“Professor Richard Scolyer is an extraordinary Australian.
“Through his skill, his tenacity, and his courage he has made such a difference for our country.
"This will build on Professor Scolyer’s research, advocacy and leadership in tackling cancer."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Mark Butler:
“There are few people in Australia, or indeed the world, who have made as significant a contribution to cancer research, treatment and advocacy as Professor Richard Scolyer.
“It is fitting that this new Chair position at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, where Professor Scolyer has been receiving his own treatment, be named in his honour.
“Brain cancers have one of the highest mortality rates amongst cancers and little improvement made in survival rates in recent decades.
“With this investment in leadership, research and clinical trials, we hope we can shift the dial and improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with brain cancer.”