Science / Health

Australian of the Year: Melanoma researcher Georgina Long

10:05 am on 3 February 2024

melanoma - skin cancer Photo: 123RF

Last Thursday melanoma researcher Professor Georgina Long was announced as Australian of the Year, along with colleague and friend Professor Richard Scolyer. 

As co-medical directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, the pair are credited with saving thousands of lives. 

Their pioneering immunotherapy treatments for advanced forms of the cancer have resulted in 5 year survival rates increasing from less than 5% to more than 50%.

In June of last year Professor Scolyer was diagnosed with glioblastoma IDH wild-type, a cancer that is usually fatal within six to nine months. 

Rather than undergoing traditional treatment, Prof Scolyer decided to experiment on himself, with Professor Long designing world-first treatments based on their melanoma work.  He spoke with Kim Hill last year.

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