Richard Scolyer
The Power List 2019
Richard Scolyer
Richard is a pathologist, medical researcher, and the current Co-Medical Director at Melanoma Institute Australia. He is also the president of the Australasian Division of the International Academy of Pathology and clinical professor at the University of Sydney. “My biggest influence has been the Melanoma Institute Australia Research Database that was set up by the late Gerry Milton 60 years ago,” he says. “This is now the largest melanoma patient database in the world, with over 50,000 patients, and is a major international resource that has provided me with many opportunities to perform important research that correlates pathological and clinical features with patient outcome data in large cohorts.” Richard’s research discoveries have changed clinical and pathology practice worldwide; he is a leader in determining mechanisms of enhanced response versus resistance to drugs in development, such as immunotherapies – data that underpins the design of current clinical trials. His biggest wish? “That people of all ages, but especially young people, were more vigilant in protecting themselves from the sun. UV exposure leading to sunburn is the single biggest risk factor for developing skin cancer, which claims one Australian life every five hours.”
