Eli Coleman, Ph.D., L.P. is the director of the Program in Human Sexuality at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. In May 2007, he was appointed the first endowed Chair in Sexual Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
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. According to the Web of Science, Coleman's scientific articles have been cited more than 700 times, with an h-index of 16.
Professor Coleman is the founding and current editor of the International Journal of Sexual Health (formerly the Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality). He was also the founding editor of the International Journal of Transgenderism. He is one of the past-presidents of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association), the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), and the International Academy for Sex Research. He is the current chair of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care revision committee. In 2010, he was elected President-elect of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research. He is also currently the Chairman of the Sinclair Intimacy Institute's Advisory Council and Co-Chair of the Trojan Sexual Health Advisory Council.
He has been a frequent technical consultant on sexual health issues to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (the regional office of WHO)., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevetion. 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 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in 2001. 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. In May 2009, he was awarded the Masters and Johnson Award by the Society for Sex Therapy and Research.