Richard Scolyer was a great Australian, a pioneering scientist, and an inspiring example of grace in his final years.
Because of Richard’s brilliant research, advanced Melanoma went from a death sentence to a curable disease. As a result of that breakthrough, in a country with the highest melanoma rates on earth, thousands of Australians are alive today.
Reflecting on that research, Richard once said:
‘Hope is an intrinsic and integral part of science. Hope empowers us to take action. Innovation cannot succeed without this hope’.
After being diagnosed with brain cancer, Australians got to know Richard as a man of warmth and hope. He faced his disease with optimism, with a smile, and with a deep sense of purpose. Just a few months ago, living with stage four brain cancer, he was still riding his bike through Tasmania, raising money for a cure.
In the end, life is the ultimate legacy. And thanks to Richard Scolyer, Australians have been given more life, more time, more hope.
Our thoughts are with Richard’s loved ones. He will be deeply missed.
