J.K. Rowling, the author of the famous Harry Potter series, has donated almost $20 million (£15.3m) to support research into neurological conditions in honor of her late mother.
The latest benevolent act from the woman behind the fantasy world of Hogwarts will help create new facilities and support research at the University of Edinburgh’s Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, working to improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related conditions.
The research center was devised after an earlier $12 million (£10m) donation from the author in 2010 and is named in memory of her mother Anne, who died of MS at age 45.
The facility studies neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease (MND), Parkinson’s and dementia, and objects to assist the sufferers of degenerative illnesses causing damage to the brain.
“When the Anne Rowling Clinic was first founded, none of us could have predicted the incredible progress that would be made in the field of Regenerative Neurology, with the Clinic leading the charge,” Rowling said. “I am delighted to now support the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic into a new phase of discovery and achievement, as it realizes its ambition to create a legacy of better outcomes for generations of people with MS and non-MS neurodegenerative diseases,” she added.
The author said in a statement that the center’s efforts are “a matter of great pride” for her while staff expressed their gratitude for her “incredibly far-sighted and generous donation” which will “unlock the potential of personalized medicine for people with MS in Scotland and further afield,” according to Professor Siddharthan Chandran, the director of the research center.
“This inspiring donation will fund a whole new generation of researchers who are focused on discovering and delivering better treatments and therapies for patients,” University of Edinburgh Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Mathieson, said. “We are immensely honored that J.K. Rowling has chosen to continue her support for the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic,” he praised.
J.K. Rowling is one of the best selling authors in the world, and has accumulated a net worth of $924 million (£750m), according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
She has also been named the richest author in the world, claiming the top spot from James Patterson. The Harry Potter author has been estimated to have earned $95 million in the year ending May 31, 2017. James Patterson came back on top after J.K. Rowling lost the title of highest-paid author last year. The world’s 11 highest-paid authors sold around 24.5 million print books combined in the U.S. during the scoring period, earning $283 million.
The much-loved franchise by both children and elders of the Harry Potter series has sold more than 500 million books worldwide and the series has been translated into over 80 different languages.
