JK Rowling Donates £15.3M to UK Clinic Working in MS Research, Treatment Discovery

Written by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD | Sept. 19, 2019

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has donated £15.3 million — more than $19 million — to the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic to support research, create new facilities, and help develop new treatments for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Located at The University of Edinburgh, the clinic is named for Rowling’s mother, who died of MS at age 45. It was set up with £10 million donation from Rowling in 2010, and works as an integrated care and research facility, one that offer patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.

“I am delighted to now support the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic into a new phase of discovery and achievement, as it realises its ambition to create a legacy of better outcomes for generations of people with MS and non-MS neurodegenerative diseases,” Rowling said in a press release.

Nothing the clinic’s role in the recent progress in regenerative neurology, Rowling added that she has “great pride” in both its “lofty ambitions” and its “practical, on the ground support and care for people with MS, regardless of stage and type.”

“I’ve heard at first-hand what a difference this support can make,” she said.

Peter Mathieson, the university’s principal and vice-chancellor, added: “We are immensely honoured that J. K. Rowling has chosen to continue her support for the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic. This inspiring donation will fund a whole new generation of researchers who are focussed on discovering and delivering better treatments and therapies for patients.”

Studies into “invisible” MS symptoms, such as cognitive impairment and pain, and advances in individualized care are among the work supported by this donation.

“This incredibly far-sighted and generous donation will unlock the potential of personalised medicine for people with MS in Scotland and further afield,” said Siddharthan Chandran, a neurologist and the clinic’s director.

In addition to MS, the clinic works in research and treats patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and other forms of dementia.

“Our research is shaped by listening to, and involving, individuals who are living with these tough conditions,” Chandran concluded.

About the Author

Jose Marques Lopes, PhD José holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Porto, Portugal. After postdocs at Weill Connell Medicine and Western University, where he studied the processes driving hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease, he moved on in 2016 to a career in science writing and communication. José is the author of several peer-reviewed papers and a book chapter and has presented his research in numerous international meetings.

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Phil Longford

It will be very interesting to see if this generous donation, has the desired result. Either way, it is a great way for JKR to honour the memory of her mother, and, perhaps, help the fight against MS.
Thanks.

Judith Hague

It never seases to amaze me that MS is a common area of discussion in the world where I find connections to people who either have MS or who know people who have MS It is a common problem for people who live in the Northern latitudes of our planet Earth ! Good Samaratan Hospital in Pdx. Oregon has an MS clinic as well as does Oregon Health and Sciences University that has a vital research vacility as well as a clinic to treat patients who have MS !