Mihai Covasa

Mihai Covasa, Ph.D., is a Professor of Physiology at the Western University of Health Sciences, specifically within the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. He holds a Ph.D. in Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Leeds (1994) and has extensive postdoctoral and academic experience, including roles at The Pennsylvania State University and Washington State University. His research focuses on obesity, diabetes, and gut microbiota, investigating mechanisms linking dietary fats, neural regulation, and metabolic dysfunction.

Education:

• Ph.D. Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, UK (1994)
• M.S. Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, UK (1992)
• B.S. Honors Animal Science, University of Iasi, Romania (Year not specified)

Research Interests:

• Neural control of eating behavior and body weight regulation
• Role of gut microbiota in metabolic health and disease
• Impact of dietary fats on obesity and type 2 diabetes
• Postoral nutrient signaling and satiety mechanisms

Recent Work Trends: Dr. Covasa’s publications emphasize gut microbiota manipulation (e.g., probiotics, fecal transplants) as therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders. His studies also explore long COVID-19 mechanisms and wastewater-based epidemiology for public health monitoring.

Labs/Teams: His research group investigates the microbiota-gut-brain axis and employs rodent models to study obesity and diabetes. Collaborations include work on biopolymer drug delivery systems for diabetes management and genomic surveillance of viral outbreaks.