A new multiple sclerosis (MS) research clinic named after the late mother of author JK Rowling has been officially opened by the Princess Royal.

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh was established with a £10 million donation from the Harry Potter writer.

Work at the facility will focus on finding treatments to slow the progression of MS, as well as learning more about other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.

Rowling, whose mother died of MS at the age of 45, attended the official unveiling of the centre today but did not speak at the event.

The Princess Royal, in her role as chancellor of the university, unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and paid tribute to the "exceptional support" Rowling has given to this field of research.

Anne told the gathering: "It's always a pleasure to see developments happening because this is a particular area of interest, as far as I'm concerned.

"To be able to come (to the university) every now and again and really see what I consider to be step changes happening in an area which I think, to a degree, has been slightly below the horizon in the past is a huge encouragement.

"It's a huge encouragement for people like us but I hope it's more encouraging to those who are patients now, for whom it is very much part of their work. It's their involvement which is making those step changes possible."

She added: "None of this happens without support and to have the exceptional support that we've had from Jo Rowling is quite astonishing.

"We've got to make the best use of that and I hope she will make sure that we do that."

Rowling, who found global success with the Harry Potter book series, said in a statement: "I am moved and elated to see the Anne Rowling Clinic formally opened today by HRH The Princess Royal.

"Having observed the plans for the clinic develop and expand to fulfil the needs of patients, clinicians and researchers, I am now very proud to see the building finished and operating as the beating heart of this centre for excellence."

When Rowling's donation was announced three years ago, the writer said she believed the clinic would become a world centre for excellence in its field.

She said in 2010: "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."

The purpose-built facility is housed in the university's Chancellor's Building, next to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France.

Rowling and the Princess Royal toured the facility today before meeting staff and students, and opening the centre.

Addressing the official launch, university principal Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea said: "From the time of the conception of this event, things have moved along in an extraordinary way.

"We do have an enormous debt to Jo Rowling. She provided, with a massive act of philanthropy, the impetus that set this important enterprise going."

Addressing Rowling, Professor Siddharthan Chandran, professor of neurology and co-director of the clinic, said: "It's difficult to thank you enough. Your gift is transformative. It's unbelievably generous and very far-sighted."

Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, clinic co-director and director of the university's Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "The clinic's location at the heart of this campus draws on the university's world-class strength in neuroscience, stem cell research and regeneration.

"Because of the Anne Rowling Clinic's unique capacity for bench-to-bedside research, in time we expect to be able to translate laboratory discoveries into real benefits for patients."

Multiple sclerosis affects about 100,000 people in the UK and Scotland has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with some 10,500 people having the condition.

It causes myelin, a protective layer surrounding nerve cells in the brain, to break down, leading to symptoms such as numbness, fatigue and weakness.

The exact cause of the disease is not fully understood, although genetics and environmental factors may play a part.