Bertin, Inaugural Director of the Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center, Gets Underway

Listen to An Interview With Dr. Bertin on the Vet Med Cast

Mississippi State University has appointed Dr. François René Bertin as the inaugural director of the newly established Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center, a transformative initiative aimed at combating one of the most debilitating diseases affecting horses.

The center, made possible by a major gift from Nancy Fair Link, is under construction at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Bertin joined the university in January and is assembling the center’s first research and clinical team while construction progresses.

Bertin, an equine internal medicine specialist originally from France, brings global experience to the role, having held clinical and academic appointments in the United States, Canada, and Australia. He has served as an associate professor at Purdue University, director of research and graduate programs at the University of Queensland, and a clinician at the University of Montreal.

Calling the position “a fantastic challenge” and “a fantastic opportunity,” Bertin said the new center is already gaining momentum. He is joined by faculty members Dr. Julien Delarocque and Dr. Elaine Norton and is recruiting additional technicians and graduate students.

“We finally have the resources to bring people together and do something,” Bertin said, noting that Link’s gift enables sustained, large-scale research efforts that are typically difficult to fund in equine medicine. “You can do one project, but you won’t be able to build a program like what Nancy Fair Link is allowing us to do.”

Laminitis is an excruciating, often fatal inflammation of the tissues inside a horse’s hoof. The disease is the second most common cause of equine euthanasia. 

“The disease is extremely painful,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve torn a fingernail before, now imagine tearing a nail and putting all your weight on it. Now imagine you weigh one thousand pounds. That’s what laminitis is like for the horse.”

The center will approach the disease through laboratory science, clinical treatment, and student training. Bertin said the team will not simply study the disease, but will work to translate discoveries directly to patient care.

 “We also want to be able to apply what we learn directly to clients. We’re going to build the next generation of clinicians and researchers so we can really make a lasting impact,” he said.

Bertin said advances in human endocrinology and inflammation research provide parallel insights that could help horses, and some of their work could potentially have an impact on human medicine.

While Bertin noted that the disease can be mitigated through early intervention, laminitis is notoriously complex. Causes of the disease are not straightforward; rather, it seems to be a result of the interactions between genetics, diet, activity, and other factors.

“There is something we are doing wrong, but we are doing better already,” Bertin said. “But the interplay between genetics, the diet, the activity of the horse, and the owner is very complex.”

Bertin traces his passion for horses to his childhood in France. The fascination never faded, eventually guiding him into equine internal medicine with a focus on endocrinology.

In addition to leading the center, Bertin plans to remain involved in the training of the future of veterinary professionals.

“The students are, to some extent, the reason we do what we do,” he said.

Construction of the center began in November 2025. As the program begins taking shape, Bertin said his team is preparing to move quickly once the facility is fully completed in 2027.

“We are getting everything ready,” he said. “When the building is ready, we’re ready to move in. We have all the people, we have everything, and we can get going.”