Julia R. Coleman, M.D., M.P.H., is a Chief General Surgery Resident at University of Colorado-Denver. Dr. Coleman graduated magna cum laude from Elon University in 2006, after which she received her Master’s in Public Health from The Ohio State University, specializing in Health Behavior and Policy. She was subsequently awarded her Medical Degree from University of Toledo College of Medicine in 2015, where she was an AOA member and Gold Humanism award recipient. She then began General Surgery Residency at the University of Colorado. During residency, Dr. Coleman completed a 2-year NIH T32 trauma research fellowship. As a result of her research, she has published over 50 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, received independent funding from the National Institutes of Health, and presented at 40 national and international conferences, receiving First Place Paper awards at multiple Committee on Trauma State and National meetings, the Top Paper award from Chest Wall Injury Society, the Raymong H Alexander Award from EAST, and the Jack Barney Award from Southwestern Surgical Congress. In addition to research, she has been active in national leadership, currently serving on the Executive Committee for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Resident and Associate Society, as well as several other leadership positions within the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and Committee on Trauma. She has additionally received awards within her institution as the recipient of the Intern of the Year Award in 2016, the Grover Award in Clinical Science Research in 2018, and the J. Cuthbert Owens professionalism award in 2021. Dr. Coleman plans to continue her training with a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at the Ohio State University after graduation from the program in Denver.
Selected publications from PubMed
Sex and mechanism-specific differences in outcomes following massive transfusion in trauma: A meta-analysis.
Topper GV, Major E, Shah S, Hunter K, Dube S, Hashmi Z, Raykar N, Henry R, Heh V, Holcomb JB, Coleman JR
Transfusion. 2026 Aug 17 doi: 10.1111/trf.70321.
One voice at the bedside: aligning goals of care and prognostic communication in trauma and acute care surgery.
Gorman E, Coleman J, Hartwell J, Cook M, Cuschieri J
Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2026;11(3):e002218 doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2025-002218.
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma/American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma Clinical Consensus Statement on the management of patients with rib fractures.
Park C, Schwed AC, Buhavac M, Coleman JR, Cross A, Jacovides CL, Yoo B, Agarwal S, Rappold J, Savage SA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2026 Aug 1;101(2):348-358 doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000005008.
National Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services in Rural and Frontier Areas: A 2024 Update on Rural-Urban Differences in EMS Care.
Henry R, Holcomb JB, Coleman JR, Raykar NP, Hashmi ZG, Barrett CD, Lammers DT
Prehosp Emerg Care. 2026 Jul 30;:1-15 doi: 10.1080/10903127.2026.2712606.
Uncovering sex-based disparities in trauma surgery research.
Topper GV, Waters JP, Morris P, Coleman JR
J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2026 Apr 1;100(4):e36-e39 doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004822.
1. Welcome and Introduction - Dr. Luis Felipe Cabrera Vargas (Colombia) 2. Residents Worldwide - Testimonials and perspectives 3. The RR: Highlights - Dr. Luis Felipe Cabrera Vargas (Colombia) 4. Industry Perspective- Mr. Rich Merklinger (USA) 5. The Resilient Chain - Dr. Barham Abu Dayyeh (USA), Dr. Julia Coleman (USA), Dr. Zoe Garoufalia (USA), Dr. James Glasbey (UK), Dr. Geeta Lal (USA), Dr. Emanuele Lo Menzo (USA), Dr. Winnie Mathur (India), Dr. Violeta Moizé (Argentina), Dr. Sara Tavares Nogueira (Spain), Dr. Daniel Tomey (USA) 6. Closing remarks - Dr. Luis Felipe Cabrera Vargas (Colombia)
With Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Published
Dec 2022
The main topic of this session is transitioning after residency. Dr. Coleman indicates that the information she provides is based on her own experience rather than available research. The big question she addresses is: what will I be doing after residency? First, she recommends thinking about it early and identifying your ‘why’ and your strengths in terms of leadership, research, education, and administration. Armed with conclusions, she advises continuing to reflect in order to identify short and long-term goals. Also, she suggests that residents look for mentorships and seek out assistance and professional support from associations like the American College of Surgeons. When it comes to opportunities, the American College of Surgeons offers perspective on the different possibilities available. She points out that basic marketing awareness is a valuable asset nowadays, underlined by the importance of a professional headshot, a well-thought-out CV, and how being involved can help one stay relevant and get noticed. For example, applying for a fellowship is a clinical and academic opportunity to continue training. This period can help with observing where you may have gaps and, although it is not considered instruction in the strictest sense of the word, it can serve as the beginning of a career path and can be useful for keeping in contact with mentors. Lastly, Dr. Coleman shares some tips to help with looking for that first job in a challenging market and compares the differences between academic careers and private practice.
With Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Published
Aug 2022
Published
Jul 2022
Surgical bleeding can adversely affect patient outcome, hospital costs, and resources. Intraoperative bleeding is a major cause of cases being opened from MIS procedure with challenging and uncontrollable bleeding during surgery associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. As surgeons we must be OR READY!
With Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Published
May 2022
Residents and clinical fellows are a vulnerable group of surgeons given the specific role they play in the surgical team. The current generation of surgical residents and fellows are completing their medical education and training at a time of massive social change. During this time, the importance of mentorship, allyship, and sponsorship can often make or break experiences for trainees. In this AIS channel session, we explore the challenges and solutions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion for surgical trainees as they navigate surgical training.
Published
Feb 2022
Help your network discover Dr. Julia Coleman's clinical expertise.
