Chair in Sexual Health

Greta Bauer, PhD, MPH

Greta Bauer, PhD, MPH:
Chair in Sexual Health

Greta Bauer, PhD, MPH is a Professor and Director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health (ISGH). She holds the endowed academic chair in sexual health. Prior to 2022, Dr. Bauer was a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in London, Canada, where she held a Sex and Gender Science Chair through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). As an epidemiologist, Dr. Bauer’s focus on sexual and gender health has been both substantive and methodological, with a focus on the impacts of social marginalization. She is an international leader in both community and clinical research on transgender and non-binary health, and in incorporating intersectionality into quantitative research methods. As an interdisciplinary epidemiologist, she has published in top academic journals across medicine (e.g., Annals of Emergency Medicine), public health (e.g, American Journal of Public Health), psychology (e.g., Psychology of Women Quarterly), social science (e.g., Social Science & Medicine), sexual health (e.g., Journal of Sex Research), and epidemiology (e.g., Epidemiology). Her research and professional expertise have been used in legislative or court processes in Canada with regard to blood donation policy for gay and bisexual men, the addition of gender identity and expression to federal and provincial human rights codes, and legal challenges in multiple provinces regarding restrictive criteria for trans people to change sex designations on identity documents.

Photo by Purpose Madison

History of the Chair in Sexual Health

In 2007, the nation's first endowed Chair in Sexual Health was established at the Institute in Sexual and Gender Health (ISGH; formerly the Program in Human Sexuality) at the University of Minnesota Medical School. The Chair is recognition of the longstanding role that the Institute has maintained as a leader and innovator in the academic world of sexual science, in sexual health education, and in the treatment of sexual problems.

Endowed chairs constitute one of the most time-honored and treasured means of paying tribute to the contributions of prominent faculty and researchers. The purpose of the Chair in Sexual Health is to help attract and retain an outstanding director by providing a permanent source of support for expenses related to the infrastructure of the Institute. The permanent endowment ensures that the advancement of sexual health and support for the Institute will remain a priority at the University of Minnesota in perpetuity.

Income from the fund is used to provide the resources necessary to ensure the program’s stability and continued status as a national and international leader in research, teaching and training, clinical services, and public policy and advocacy initiatives.

Eli Coleman, PhD

Dr. Eli Coleman: Inaugural Chair in Sexual Health

Eli Coleman, PhD, was appointed the first Chair in Sexual Health. Coleman has focused his work on strengthening the faculty and infrastructure of the program, allowing it to fulfill its purpose of revolutionizing the sexual and gender climate by eliminating barriers and advancing healthy sexuality. In addition, Coleman has worked on global sexual health issues by focusing on advancing sexual public policy based upon scientific evidence, promoting sexual rights, eliminating stigma among sexual minorities, and fostering comprehensive sexuality education. He is the author of numerous articles and books on compulsive sexual behavior, sexual offending, sexual orientation, gender dysphoria, chemical dependency and family intimacy, and on the psychological and pharmacological treatment of a variety of sexual dysfunctions and disorders.

In April 2007, Dr. Coleman was awarded the Gold Medal for his lifetime contributions to the field of sexual health by the World Association for Sexual Health. In September 2022, Dr. Coleman (along with his colleagues Drs. Jon Arcelus and Asa Radix), was awarded the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Gold Medal Award for his dedication and tireless work in overseeing the development of the WPATH Standards of Care Version 8, and his impact on the field of healthcare for transgender and gender diverse people.