jk rowling
Author J.K. Rowling poses for photographers at a gala performance of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child parts One and Two, in London, Britain, July 30, 2016. Reuters/Neil Hall

J.K. Rowling, author of the massively successful and beloved “Harry Potter” book series, made a significant donation on Thursday to a Scottish multiple sclerosis treatment center named after her late mother, who in 1990 passed away from the condition at age 45. The donation totaled 15.3 million pounds ($18.8 million) and will go towards building new facilities for research at the University of Edinburgh.

“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,” the Rowling said on her official website. “I am delighted to now support the 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.

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic was established following a previous donation of 10 million pounds by the author in 2010.

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

In addition to the “Potter” books, Rowling has also written four novels in the Cormoran Strike detective series under the pen name “Robert Galbraith.” Rowling has also produced and written the screenplays for the two “Fantastic Beasts” films, which serve as prequels to the “Harry Potter” stories.

A third film is set for release in November 2021.

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