Mississippi State University (MSU) broke ground on Nov. 10, 2025, for a new research facility aimed at the prevention and treatment of laminitis.
The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center is made possible through a collaboration between Nancy Link and the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The donation will fund both the construction and operation of the center, including salaries, maintenance and travel for professional research and presentations.
“The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center will be a global center of excellence in the fight against this devastating disease,” says MSU president Mark Keenum. “We are grateful for Nancy’s visionary commitment and remarkable generosity as we work together to create this new center. Our College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students are 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.”
Set to open in fall 2027, the 12,500-square-foot Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center will include a large multi-investigator laboratory and clinical research and farrier space with PET and CT scanners. An adjacent 8,100-square-foot equine research barn will feature 24 stalls.
The center is led by Dr. François-René Bertin. He will head a team of three faculty specialists, staff and graduate students who will conduct research on laminitis prevention, diagnostic methods and treatment strategies. Bertin is an internationally recognized laminitis researcher. He completed his veterinary training at the National Veterinary School of Nantes in France and did a residency in large animal internal medicine at Purdue University. He also 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.
“We are incredibly grateful to Nancy for giving us this opportunity, and there are no limits to what this research center can achieve. A world-class research center that conducts cutting-edge laminitis research is being established as MSU, and we aim to translate scientific discoveries into practical solutions for the equine community,” says Dr. Nicholas Frank, dean and professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine.
For more information, contact Jimmy Kight, senior director of development for the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Mississippi State University Foundation, at (662) 325-5893.
