J K Rowling makes £10m donation to new MS research centre in memory of mother

Daily Mail, By DAILY MAIL REPORTER, 31st August 2010

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has donated £10 million to set up a new multiple sclerosis (MS) research clinic, it was announced today.

The £10m donation is the largest
 single gift that J K Rowling has ever given

The world-famous children's writer made the generous donation in memory of her mother Anne, who suffered from the degenerative condition and died at the age of 45.

The clinic, which is expected to be completed within a year, is to be based at the University of Edinburgh.

Miss Rowling, who is estimated to have a net worth of £650million said she believed it would become a world centre for excellence in its field.

It is also hoped work at the facility will help researchers find out more about other incurable neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.

In a statement released today, she said: 'It is with great pleasure and pride that I am donating £10 million to the Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh, which is to be named after my mother, Anne.

'I have supported research into the cause and treatment of multiple sclerosis for many years now, but when I first saw the proposal for this clinic, I knew that I had found a project more exciting, more innovative, and, I believe, more likely to succeed in unravelling the mysteries of MS than any other I had read about or been asked to fund.

'I am incredibly impressed by the calibre of clinicians and researchers that Edinburgh has already managed to attract to make this project a reality, and I truly believe that it is set to become a world centre for excellence in the field of regenerative neurology.'

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic will be based in a purpose-built facility within the University's Chancellor's Building, next to the city's Royal Infirmary at Little France.

University officials said the development will build on Edinburgh's "strong track records" in patient-focused clinical research on neurological disorders and in imaging of the brain and nervous system.

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It follows the setting up of the Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research at the university three years ago, which also received support from the author.

The university said Rowling's £10 million sum is the single largest donation she has given to a charitable cause.

Her wealth derives from the enormous success of her Harry Potter book series, which have sold more than 400million copies.

It is also the largest single donation the University has received.

What is MS?

• Multiple sclerosis or MS, is the most common neurological condition in young adults in the UK, affecting around 85,000 people.
• Each nerve fibre in the central nervous system is surrounded by a substance called myelin, which becomes damaged in MS sufferers.
• Inflamed myelin patches called lesions disrupt messages sent from the brain to the body. This can cause blurred vision, problems with mobility and balance and muscle weakness.
• MS is a lifelong condition but is not terminal and can be treated with drugs such as steroids. Around one in five have a considerably shortened life.
• For more information visithttp://www.mssociety.org.uk/