David Rowland’s Fundamental Contribution to Sexology (Part 1 & 2)
1h 34m
David Rowland
Senior Research Professor of Psychology
Trailer
With great honor and excitement, IOSS had the privilege of hosting Prof. David Rowland, a renowned expert in the field of sexology. He holds a prestigious position as a Senior Research Professor of Psychology at Valparaiso University in the USA. Prof. Rowland has an impressive track record of publishing research papers, review articles, and book chapters, which are difficult to quantify due to their sheer volume. His research has played a crucial role in our current understanding of human sexuality from a perspective that considers biological, psychological, and social factors. As a result, he has played a leading role in advancing contemporary sexual therapy and has profoundly impacted how we practice clinical sex therapy.
In the interview, we explore Prof. Rowland’s diverse career in sex research, highlighting milestones and significant scientific breakthroughs. We also discuss key findings of his groundbreaking studies on premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and sexual arousal, highlighting their continued relevance in modern sex therapy. One of Prof. Rowland’s most recent contributions that we discuss in this interview is on anxiety and its effects on performance in various areas, including not only sexual matters but also sports and stage performance.
Prof. Rowland’s enlightening discussion, where he shares his insights, professional experiences, and knowledge, is a unique source of inspiration and valuable guidance for sexologists.
Produced in 2023
David Rowland
Senior Research Professor of Psychology
Lecturer
David Rowland, Senior Research Professor of Psychology at Valparaiso University, USA, received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in psychology in 1977 and has held postdoctoral and research fellowships at SUNY-Stony Brook in Psychiatry, Stanford University in Physiology, Erasmus Medical Center (Netherlands) in Endocrinology and Reproduction, and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Mental and Behavioral Health.
His research and scholarship have focused on understanding psychophysiological relationships, particularly insofar as they are applied to psychosexual response in men and women.
Rowland has published many (stopped counting!) research papers, review articles, and book chapters related to sexual behavior and functioning, using both rats and humans as study subjects. Most have focused on sexual response and dysfunction in both men and women, and many have emphasized the value of applying holistic and interdisciplinary perspectives to the study of sexuality, often attempting to bring novel conceptual, methodological, and cross-cultural approaches to addressing age-old issues within the field.
He has authored and co-edited several books, including The Handbook of Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders (2008), Sexual Dysfunction in Men (2012), Proceedings on Translational Medicine (2018), and Cultural Differences and the Practice of Sexual Medicine (2020). In addition to holding positions on numerous editorial boards of journals, he served as editor of the Annual Review of Sex Research 2005-2009, is co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Mind and Medical Science (JMMS), and is editor-in-chief of the journal Sexes.
He has served as a consultant on advisory boards for grant development, drug development and testing, program internationalization, and standardization of diagnostic criteria for the World Health Organization and various professional organizations. He has held honorary positions at the University of Jos, Nigeria, and Bahria University, Pakistan, and has conducted workshops on various research and pedagogical-related topics as a Fulbright Specialist and Scholar-in-Residence.
Among his various academic responsibilities, Rowland has particularly valued his role as an educator and mentor, and even after retirement from active teaching, he continues to mentor 5-10 students annually through an ongoing research workgroup that attempts to instill an appreciation for and understanding of the scientific process and method through active research participation. He also served as Dean of the Graduate School at Valparaiso University for 16 years and Associate Provost of Graduate Education for 5 years before assuming the position of Executive Director of Institutional Innovation.
On a personal note, he has been a worldwide wanderer and student of ideas since 1989, lived abroad for several years in the Netherlands, cycles regularly as an exercise in mindfulness, and, as part of his avocation for history, enjoys visiting “has-been” destinations in the US (places where nobody else bothers to go anymore).
