A groundbreaking ceremony has launched construction on a Mississippi State University research center aimed at combating a specific disease that plagues horses.
The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center, located at Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, will bring equine experts to the university to combat the painful and debilitating hoof disease that can lead to euthanasia for affected horses. Link, a horse enthusiast, gifted an unspecified amount of money, which was coined an “exceptionally generous gift” by Mississippi State officials, to bring this research center to fruition.
Funds from Link will go toward both the construction of the center, with plans to make Mississippi State a national and international leader in the area of laminitis research. In addition to funding the construction, Link’s gift will cover the cost of equipment for the center, faculty salaries, maintenance, and travel for professional research presentations.
Anticipated to open in fall 2027, the Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center will be a 12,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility with a large multi-investigator laboratory and clinical research space, including farrier space, and equipped with PET and CT scanners. An adjacent 8,100-square-foot equine research barn will feature 24 stalls to house horses.
“My horses are a passion in my life. It is heartbreaking to experience their suffering from laminitis,” Link, who has had a longstanding positive relationship with Mississippi State developed during the years she was married to university alumnus Richard Adkerson, said. The mission of my partnership with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University is to develop treatment and to work to find a cure for this dreadful disease.”
The center will be led by Dr. François-René Bertin. He will head a team of three faculty specialists, staff, and graduate students who will conduct vital research on laminitis prevention, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies. Bertin has dedicated his career to fighting laminitis, and he is internationally recognized as an expert on the disease, as well as on hormonal diseases in horses.
He completed veterinary training at the National Veterinary School of Nantes in France and completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at Purdue University. He additionally earned a Ph.D. in hemovascular physiology at McGill University in Canada and has worked at the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit at the University of Queensland in Australia.
“The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center will be a global center of excellence in the fight against this devastating disease. We are grateful for Nancy’s visionary commitment and remarkable generosity as we work together to create this new center,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said.
“Our College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff, and students are making a difference in the lives of animals and the people who love them every day. They are also supporting industries that are vital to our state and nation, especially in our rural communities. The Link Center will significantly expand this impact and save the lives of countless horses.”