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DEAN, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences
Mihai COVAȘĂ Professor, PhD.

Physiology and Nutrition

  • EDUCATION AND TRAINING

    • Master in Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, England
    • PhD in Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, England
    • Postdoctoral fellow (3 years) in Neuroscience, Washington State University, USA

  • PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

    • Assistant Professor, Washington State University, Neuroscience Program
    • Associate Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Nutrition
    • Research Director, INRA National Research Institute, Human Nutrition Division, France
    • Director, Laboratory of Nutrition and Physiology, Micalis Institute, France
    • Professor and PhD supervisor, Marie Curie University, Paris, France
    • Associate Professor, Western University of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, USA
    • Doctoral supervisor in the field of Medicine, UMF “Grigore T. Popa” Iasi.

  • DISCIPLINES TEACHED

    • General principles of nutrition
    • Nutrition and Diseases
    • Diet and Nutrition
    • Basics of Nutrition
    • Nutrition and Metabolism
    • Eating Behavior
    • Gastrointestinal physiology
    • Neurosciences
    • Endocrinology
    • Physiology of bone and muscle tissue

  • RESEARCH AREAS

    • Study of the physiological, metabolic, neuronal and nutritional mechanisms involved in excessive food consumption and obesity
    • The role of intestinal microflora in obesity and diabetes
    • Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2

  • COORDINATED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

    • PN-III-P2-2.1-SOL-2020-0142, Secventiereagenomului SARS-COV-2 sianalizafilogentica a tulpinilorcirculante in Romania -12SOL/2020, 2020-2021, 3000000 LEI.
    • 2SOFT/4.1/56, Personalized prevention tools in obesity and diabetes – a joint Romanian-Ukrainian programme of health education –  PrePOD, € 329200.
    • POC/61/1/2/105065, POC-A. 1-A.1.1.4- E -2015, P_37_758, 120/16.09.2016. Analizainterrelațieidintre microbiota intestinalășigazdă cu aplicațiiînprevențiașicontrouldiabetului de TIP 2  microDIAB, 2016-2020, 8993592 LEI
    • POC-A1-A1.1.4-E-2015 Covasa/Dimian (PIs) 2016-2020. The relationship between gut microbiota and the host with application in the prevention and control of type 2 diabetes. This is a European Union financed project hosted by the University of Suceava, Romania. $2,187,263.
    • PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0608 Analysis of novel risk factors influencing control of food intake and regulation of body weight. National Research Agency, Romania. 2013-2016, $506,590. Role PI
    • 423-12 (RO1-DK52849-05) July 2008- June 31, 2013. Grand Total $1, 860,448. NIDDK/DDDN. This is a collaborative grant between my laboratory and Washington State University. Role PI (WesternU). The role of glutamate in the control of food intake.
    • French Institute of Agricultural Research., INRA DARESE, competitive international grant 2010-2014. Grand Total $600,000. Role: PI. The role of microbiota in control of food intake and energy homeostasis.
    • 423-12 55JT (RO1-DK065709-01) Jan 2004- Dec 2009. Grand Total $ 1,816,081. Role PI (PSU site). This is a equally shared joined collaborative grant between my colleague Dr. Andras Hajnal and my laboratory. Dopamine mechanisms in development of type-2 diabetes.
    • 423-12 39XT (RO1-DK52849-04) April 2003- March 31, 2008. Grand Total $1, 750,000. NIDDK/DDDN. Total awarded to PSU: $271,605. Joint collaborative grant with Burns, GA and Ritter, RC at Washington State University. Role: PI at PSU site. The role of glutamate in the control of food intake.
    • 5-HT3 receptor mediation of 5-HT and CCK-induced satiation. F31 NS 051868 (M. Hayes, Sponsor: Covasa) NIH/NINDS 06/01/2005 – 05/31/2008. The major goal of this project is to identify the gastric involvement of 5HT-3 receptors mediation of cholecystokinin-induced satiation.
    • NCI 25XS101 National Cancer Institute (PI: T. Hartman, Co-PI: M. Covasa). 9/05- 9/07. The effects of a high legume low glycemic index diet on insulin resistance and inflammation in patients at high risk for colorectal adenoma recurrence. National Cancer Institute, $400,000. Role: Co-PI
    • The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development. Mihai Covasa (PI) 01/01/03-12/31/03. $14,985. Reduced sensitivity to satiation signals.
    • 2008-2009 Social Science Institute, The Pennsylvania State University: Nicotine’s Effects on Obesity and Addiction in a Mouse Mode. “Are Agouti Mice a Canary-in-the-Coal-Mine of Obesity and Addiction Research?” PI: David Vandenbergh; Co-PI; M. Covasa
    •  PA Department of Health. Tobacco Formula Funded Health Research (R. Norgren, PI) 2003-2006. Consortium on Nutritional Neuroscience. $ 230, 861. Role: Co-PI

  • PUBLICATIONS (SELECTION) Book chapters

    • Ovidiu Schipor, OanaGeman, IulianaChiuchisan and Mihai Covasa (2016). From Fuzzy Expert System to Artificial Neural Network: Application to Assisted Speech Therapy, Artificial Neural Networks – Models and Applications, Dr. Joao Luis Garcia Rosa (Ed.), InTech, DOI: 10.5772/63332.
    • Duca, F. Gérard, P. Covasa, M. Lepage, P. The metabolic interplay between gut bacteria and their host. Frontiers of Hormone Research. S. Karger Publishers, Basel, Switzerland, 2014.
    • Covasa, M & Swartz, T.D. The role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in eating behaviour. In: Victor R. Preedy, Ronald Ross Watson, Colin R. Martin, Eds. The handbook of eating behavior, Food and Nutrition. Springer Press, 2010.
    • Covasa, M & Swartz, T.D. The role of ghrelin in eating behaviour. In: Victor R. Preedy, Ronald Ross Watson, Colin R. Martin, Eds. The handbook of eating behavior, Food and Nutrition. Springer Press, 2010.
    • Covasa, M & Swartz, T.D. The role of glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) in eating behaviour. In:Victor R. Preedy, Ronald Ross Watson, Colin R. Martin, Eds. The handbook of eating behavior, Food and Nutrition. Springer Press, 2010.

  • Publications in journals with an impact factor

    • Luchian, I., Moscalu, M., Goriuc, A., Nucci, L., Tatarciuc, M., Martu, I., & Covasa, M. (2021). Using Salivary MMP-9 to Successfully Quantify Periodontal Inflammation during Orthodontic Treatment. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(3), 379.
    • Eshaghian, E., Singh, B., & Covasa, M. (2021, January). The role of gut microbiota and diet in health outcome of covid-19 patients with comorbidities. In journal of investigative medicine (Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 185-186). British Med Assoc House, Tavistock Square, London Wc1h 9jr, England: Bmj Publishing Group.
    • Napolitano, M., & Covasa, M. (2020). Microbiota Transplant in the Treatment of Obesity and Diabetes: Current and Future Perspectives. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 2877.
    • GheorghitaPuscaselu, R., Lobiuc, A., Dimian, M., & Covasa, M. (2020). Alginate: From food industry to biomedical applications and management of metabolic disorders. Polymers, 12(10), 2417.
    • Arhire, L. I., Mihalache, L., & Covasa, M. (2019). Irisin: a hope in understanding and managing obesity and metabolic syndrome. Frontiers in endocrinology, 10, 524.
    • Stoleru, V., Slabu, C., Vitanescu, M., Peres, C., Cojocaru, A., Covasa, M., &Mihalache, G. (2019). Tolerance of three Quinoa cultivars (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) to salinity and alkalinity stress during germination stage. Agronomy, 9(6), 287.
    • Orellana, E. R., Covasa, M., &Hajnal, A. (2019). Neuro-hormonal mechanisms underlying changes in reward related behaviors following weight loss surgery: potential pharmacological targets. Biochemical pharmacology, 164, 106-114.
    • Covasa, M., Stephens, R. W., Toderean, R., &Cobuz, C. (2019). Intestinal sensing by gut microbiota: targeting gut peptides. Frontiers in endocrinology, 10, 82.
    • Mazloom, K., Siddiqi, I., & Covasa, M. (2019). Probiotics: how effective are they in the fight against obesity?. Nutrients, 11(2), 258.
    • Ciornei, R. T., Cobuz, C., Filipiuc, S., Albu, E., & Covasa, M. (2019, November). Evaluation of Metabolic Syndrome in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Role of Gut Microbiota: the microDIAB Study. In 2019 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
    • Iatcu, C. O., Cosman, L., Dimian, M., & Covasa, M. (2019, November). Dietary Patterns in Type-2 Diabetic Patients from Norheastern Romania. In 2019 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
    • Stephens, R. W., Arhire, L., & Covasa, M. (2018). Gut microbiota: from microorganisms to metabolic organ influencing obesity. Obesity, 26(5), 801-809.
    • Wang, J.; Dong, X.; Cao, L.; Sun, Y.; Qiu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Cao, R.; Covasa, M.; Zhong, L. (Association between telomere length and diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis. Journal of International Medical Research 44(6): 1156-1173, 2016.

  • AWARDS

    • Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation Award, England.
    • Overseas Research Award, University of Leeds, England.
    • Tetley and Lupton Award, University of Leeds, England
    • Life long learning, Research, Institute for Medical Educators Faculty Award, Western University of Health Sciences
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