Advanced Equine Endocrinology

Dr. Bertin is a Professor and Director of the Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Centre at Mississippi State University. He earned his DVM from the National Veterinary School of Nantes (France), his ACVIM Diplomate status from Purdue University (USA), and his PhD from McGill University (Canada). He has practiced in France, the US, Canada, and Australia. His research focuses on laminitis and associated endocrine disorders, particularly insulin dysregulation and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and a textbook. He contributes to international guideline panels in equine endocrinology.

Dr. Beachler is a 2012 graduate of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she stayed at North Carolina State University for a one-year comparative theriogenology internship, three-year comparative theriogenology residency, and graduate training. Currently, Dr. Beachler is a board-certified Theriogenologist, and has been an assistant professor of theriogenology at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine since 2020. Dr. Beachler has a special interest in routine and advanced reproductive techniques in horses, as well as care of the pregnant mare.

Dr. Dembek earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Warsaw University in Poland in 2005. Following this, she completed a one-year equine internship in Ireland, after which she worked in private practice in Saudi Arabia. In 2012, Dr. Dembek finished the Equine Internal Medicine Residency program at The Ohio State University and began her Ph.D. training there the same year. In 2016, she relocated to Iowa, where she served as an assistant professor in Equine Medicine at Iowa State University until joining the equine medicine team at North Carolina State University in 2020.

Dr. Hart is Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine and Hodgson Chair of Equine Studies at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.  She received her DVM from Cornell University in 2004. She completed her residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine in 2008 and a PhD in Endocrine Physiology at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, after which she joined the faculty at UGA. Dr. Hart’s clinical interests include large animal endocrinology, neonatology, and neurology, and her research centers on immune-endocrine interactions in and the diagnosis and treatment of equine sepsis and endocrine diseases. 

Dr. Hostnik graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Following graduation, she completed an internship at Rhinebeck Equine from 2012-2013. Dr. Hostnik subsequently joined Ohio State to complete a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine, which she finished in 2016. After her residency, Dr. Hostnik accepted a faculty position at Ohio State, where she continues to practice equine internal medicine. Her professional interests include endocrinology in adult horses and foals and clinical teaching of residents and house officers.

Dr. van Eps graduated from the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science, Australia. His PhD studies focused on laminitis, under the mentorship of Professor Chris Pollitt. After training as a large animal internist at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, he returned there in 2017 as the Dean W. Richardson Endowed Chair of Equine Disease Research.  His laboratory focuses on developing strategies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of laminitis. 

Dr. Berryhill graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine (Equine Emphasis) at UC Davis in 2016. She served as a staff veterinarian until joining the UC Davis Equine Medicine Service as faculty and is currently an associate clinical professor. Dr. Berryhill has specific interests in endocrinology, oncology, and veterinary care of donkeys.

Dr. Knowles graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2005 and began his veterinary career in small-animal practice before switching to equine practice in 2007. He subsequently served at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, completing an Equine Internal Medicine residency in 2013 and earning the Diploma of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine in 2014. He completed his PhD in 2021 at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) with research focused on laminitis prediction in ponies. Earlier in 2025 he was appointed Global Science & Nutrition Director at Mars Horsecare and Head of the Equine Studies Group at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in the UK.

Dr. Ramiro Toribio is originally from Panama, received his veterinary degree from the Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Argentina, MS in Costa Rica and Sweden, and did his residency and PhD at The Ohio State University. He is boarded by ACVIM-LA, has a PhD in Experimental Medicine/Molecular Endocrinology, is a Professor of Equine Internal Medicine, and is the Section Chief of Equine Medicine/Equine Field Service at the College of Veterinary Medicine of The Ohio State University. He has over 160 publications, many book chapters, is editor of various books, directs research programs in equine and comparative endocrinology, equine neonatology, and has trained interns, residents, MS, PhD, and Post-Docs from the US and abroad. Dr. Toribio is involved in continuing education, dissemination of information, has interest in veterinary curriculum design, and in advancing the profession. He has received many awards and recognitions for education, research, clinical service, leadership, and professional services.