Eli Coleman
Professor of Psychology and Sexologist
Lecturer
Eli Coleman, PhD, is a professor and director emeritus of the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. The institute was named in his honor on May 12, 2023.
He is the author of numerous articles and books on compulsive sexual behavior, sexual offenders, sexual orientation, gender dysphoria, chemical dependency, and family intimacy, and on the psychological and pharmacological treatment of a variety of sexual dysfunctions and disorders. Professor Coleman is one of the founding editors of the International Journal of Transgenderism and is the founding and current editor of the International Journal of Sexual Health.
He is one of the past presidents of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the World Association for Sexual Health, the International Academy for Sex Research, and the Society for Sex Therapy and Research. He has been a frequent technical consultant on sexual health issues to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (the regional office of WHO), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the US Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Award for his role as senior scientist on Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior, released in 2001. He was given the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the Alfred E. Kinsey Award by the Midcontinent Region of the SSSS in 2001. In May of 2011, he received the John Money Award from the Eastern Region of the SSSS. In April 2007, he was awarded the Gold Medal for his lifetime contributions to the field of sexual health by the World Association for Sexual Health. He was appointed the first endowed Chair in Sexual Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School in May 2007. In May of 2009, he was awarded the Masters and Johnson Award by the Society for Sex Therapy and Research. In 2019, he was honored as the inaugural United States Sexual Health Award at the National Sexual Health Conference (2019). In 2022, he was awarded the inaugural Gold Medal from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
