Tributes have been paid to a dedicated doctor who died from the very disease she spent years researching.
Dr Sharon Hutchison, from Stirling, studied melanoma.
In a cruel twist of fate, she died from the same cancer, aged 39, a year after she was diagnosed.
Sharon, who worked for the University of the Highlands and Islands in Inverness, died in Highland Hospice surrounded by her family.
She is survived by her parents David and Jane, brother Neil and sister-in-law Jen, who travelled from their home in America to be with her.
Dad David said: “She was very quiet and unassuming and never used her titles for anything. She was a girl who loved life and lived life to the full.
“She was a very active person, she loved going to the gym and she did Muay Thai kickboxing and a lot of BMX riding.”
The researcher’s colleague and friend Dr Antonia Pritchard is a senior lecturer of genetics and immunology at the Highlands and Islands University’s Division of Biomedical Sciences.
Sharon first asked Antonia if she thought a mole on her neck looked abnormal. following that, she made an appointment to see her GP, which led to her cancer diagnosis.
Antonia paid tribute to Sharon and has vowed to continue research into the disease in her memory.
She said: “She was so organised and meticulous in her work. Her strength was remarkable. She was so stoic and resilient.
“There’s no question that this is going to drive us forward. We’re all still very sad, but it’s going to keep us going.
“Sometimes as a researcher you can be one step removed from what a patient is going through but this brings it all home.”
Antonia also says she hopes Sharon’s death can be used as a reminder to others to check for changes to their skin. She urged people to see a doctor immediately if they notice anything different.
Sharon, who was diagnosed with melanoma in January last year, continued to work until mid-November when her health deteriorated.
She passed away on December 28 and her funeral was held on Thursday last week.
