Overview

• $5.9 million in federal funding will establish the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research at Sydney's Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
• The role is intended to accelerate research, expand clinical trials and improve outcomes for brain cancer patients.
• Scolyer said he did not want the position named after him, emphasizing that impact matters more than recognition.
• Diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023, he became the first known patient to receive combination immunotherapy before surgery plus a personalised vaccine, though his tumour has since recurred.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Scolyer and co-researcher Georgina Long, as reporting highlights brain cancer’s heavy toll on Australians under 40 and poor survival rates.