Professor Richard Scolyer AO

I am a v proud Tasmanian & I very proud to be a graduate of Uni Tasmania. My education there had a big impact on my medical and academic career. I was thrilled to be in Hobart recently for announcement by UTas and The Menzies Insitute of Medical Research for a Higher Degree Research Scholarship.

Fantastic to get down to my home town of Launceston last weekend. I caught up, reminisced & laughed about old times with wonderful friends (including Parkrun). Just brilliant! Although I am abit nervous about where things are headed, fingers crossed I will see them again in not too distant future.

Katie & I attended a fantastic Epilepsy Action Australia event. It included many brilliant speakers including Dr Kaitlyn Parratt. Kaitlyn has superbly led the management of my (tumour-related) epileptic seizures. It was really inspiring to also meet & hear from many passionate Aussies!

Larger volume of quickly growing brain cancer in my left brain. Prognosis is poor. Some removed last week, some of it couldn’t be.

Neoadjuvant triple doses of immunotherapy &/or anticancer vaccination may have made a difference, more work needs to be done in a clinical trial to prove this.

Thankyou everyone 4 your kind thoughts/well wishes. I had complex surgery & am incredibly grateful 2 my team at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for their exceptional care & support, esp A/Prof Brindha Shivalingam. My heartfelt thanks to my family & friends for unconditional love and unwavering support.

I’m v proud to b part of amazing team of researchers, scientists & clinicians all co-authors of publication just released in Nature Medicine. It documents changes in my brain tumour & blood b4 & after neoadjuv combination immunotherapy treatment.

Ultimately a clinical trial needs to be conducted.

Thrilled to kick off immersion phase of @Sydney_Uni’s PERIscope Commercialisation Award with Dr. Nigel Maher & Dr. Ismael Vergara!

Our novel diagnostic test could transform diagnosis of skin lesions.

Want to learn more? Contact our Entrepreneur Lead, Dr. Nigel Maher at nigel.maher@sydney.edu.au

Further neurosurgery next week to help brilliant team looking after me try & sort out changes in my brain detected on recent scans.

All fingers & toes will stay crossed for next week or so! Thanks everyone for your kindness and support. The last few weeks have been tough.

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend! Our family’s fantastic addition from a year ago (& inaugural pet) Cha-Cha is fun for all of us to hang out with! We all love him so much ❤️❤️❤️

I had fun catching up with some old friends today.
At Parkrun, I caught up with my long time running/triathlon/duathlon buddy, Trevor. One of my best friends ever since kindergarten, Susie also popped around. We laughed a lot reminiscing. It cheered me up after a tough week.

Brilliant inspiring lecture tonight from 2019 Australian of the Year Dr Richard Harris SC OAM about incredible rescue of a group of kids from a flooded cave in Thailand by him & other heroes! He is such a fabulous person & I loved catching up with him again just before his wonderful lecture began!

Unfortunately my recent scans show some new changes which could be an effect of my previous treatment or recurrent brain tumour. I might need surgery in a few weeks time to obtain some tissue so the smart neuropathology team can help to figure this out (which I know isn’t always easy)!

Late last year, I was profiled by Guardian Australia on my emotional journey since my brain cancer was diagnosed in May 2023. We also talked about the process of writing my memoir Brainstorm with Garry Maddox and how it turned out more joyful than I expected!

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/n...

So much fun doing interview with The Panel on Channel 10 on Australia Day! We celebrated 2025 Australian of the Year Neale Daniher. Also discussed my time as 2024 Joint AOTY & my brain cancer journey.

Have a look:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyTW...

10play.com.au/theproject/e...

Had plenty of fun doing exercising activities with son Matt (& many other friends) over the weekend. Parkrun Saturday & a triathlon Sunday!

@parkrunaustralia.bsky.social
@worldtriathlon.bsky.social
@trekbikes.bsky.social

It was wonderful catching up with/meeting some incredible previous Australian of the Year titleholders recently. Such amazing people who have each had a massive impact in many different aspects of our lives. I’m so proud to be an Aussie!

(PS. My next scan delayed ‘til the end of next week)

Had brilliant time at wonderful 2025 Australian of the Year (AOTY) events in Canberra and Sydney last week! There r incredible people in our country who I felt honoured to meet! As 2024 AOTY awardees, Georgina and I delivered a few talks & participated in other activities as we passed the baton on.

This week, I have another MRI brain scan looking for recurrence of my brain cancer. Despite a busy and incredibly fun week at the Australian of the Year events, I am as nervous as ever! So called scanxiety lives on! Thanks everyone for your support and kindness.

Massive congrats 2025 Australian of the Year Neale Daniher AO. Thank you for being who you are. It has & continues to benefit all of us.

Congrats also:

Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM Senior AOTY

Dr Katrina Wruck Young AOTY

Vanessa Brettell & Hannah Costello Local Hero AOTY

I’m proud Aussie!

Excited to be heading to Canberra to “pass the baton” to next Australian of the Year. For us it’s also been an incredible platform to spread sun safety messages to prevent melanoma.

Just like last year, absolutely outstanding state winners in all categories!

Here’s a few photos from last year.

National Parks around the periphery of Sydney are spectacular (nearly as good as my home state of Tassie in my biased view)!

@trekbikes.bsky.social
#Sydney

I enjoyed doing a radio interview with Sally Sara recently on ABC Radio National Breakfast. She asked me about my summer reading tips and a bit about my own memoir, Brainstorm, and my brain cancer journey.

If you are interested, here’s a link to the interview:

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

I recently did an interview with the talented, friendly and engaging Hamish Macdonald for the Channel 10 show, The Project. The interview was to discuss my memoir Brainstorm written by Garry Maddox, a brilliant journalist!

Below is a link to the TV interview:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4_h...

Professor Richard Scolyer: Melanoma expert turned brain cancer patient - ABC listen When Richard's team developed pioneering treatment for melanoma, he didn't expect he would become the first person in the world to use this experimental therapy on his own, terminal brain tumour.    ...

Best wishes for 2025!

I recently put out memoir Brainstorm written by my friend/talented writer Garry Maddox.

In late 2024, I had a wonderful chat with a very special person, Sarah Kanowski, on the Conversation on ABC Radio about my life & memoir.

Link below:

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Tour de Cure incredible organisation which supports cancer patients & families/friends & raises money 4 research. I really enjoyed cycling TdC Signature Tour last 2 years. Channel 7 with Mark Beretta recently released 2024 journey- I shed many tears watching

Link below:

7plus.com.au/tour-de-cure

Absolutely delighted to celebrate the festive season with our family again this year! Our family has expanded since last year with the addition of Cha Cha (our adorable cavoodle puppy). I hope everyone is enjoying their time too. Best wishes for 2025!

Earlier this week, received 10th (& last) dose of a personalised anticancer vaccine. Quite a sore arm for few days, but otherwise felt fine. I hope the vaccine can stimulate my immune system to fight my brain cancer.

I also had approx 150ml blood taken for research! Many thanks to everyone involved

Blown away by passion & expertise at 6th Global Adolescence & Young Adult Cancer Congress in Melb. Amazing integration of pts, advocates, support workers, researchers & clinicians, many who are young people with lived experience as well as world experts. Greatly honoured 2 present keynote address.

I was delighted to participate again in ‘Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma & Skin Cancer Awareness’ event in Canberra. It was well supported by advocacy groups. Discussions raised awareness re sun safe behaviours & early detection of skin cancers. Terrific speakers incl many federal politicians.