Dr. Melissa H. Coleman is a thoracic surgeon whose focus is on caring for patients with cancer. After earning her bachelor's degree in biology at Harvard College, Coleman earned her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College. She completed two residencies in surgery, the first at Duke University Medical Center and the second at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she served as chief resident. Coleman completed fellowships in surgical critical care and clinical nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital. During her training there, she was a research fellow at the hospital's thoracic surgery oncology laboratory, where she worked on identifying estrogen-related genes associated with the outcomes of patients with pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissues covering the lungs. She completed a fellowship in thoracic surgery at UCSF. In 2021, Coleman was a John A. Watson Faculty Scholar, an honor that confers a grant from the UCSF Dean's Diversity Fund, and she also earned the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Teaching Award. She also earned the UCSF Exceptional Physician Award, and has been honored for her work teaching thoracic surgery residents.