Upon completing her formal education, Coleman was encouraged to accept a faculty position at UCLA by
M. Roy Wilson. During her tenure at UCLA, Coleman was the first director of the Hoskins Center for Quality Eye Care and was involved in the development of the IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry, the nation's first comprehensive eye disease registry for improved clinical care. She also chaired the Interspecialty Education Committee, the Knowledge-Base Glaucoma Panel, Quality of Care Secretary, and the Pyott Glaucoma Education Center. In 2012, Coleman became the director of the Mobile Eye Clinic and the Jules Stein Eye Institute Center for Community Outreach. While serving in this role, she oversaw the collaboration between the Jules Stein Eye Institute and First 5 LA towards the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic. In recognition of her academic achievements, Coleman was elected a member of the
National Academy of Medicine (NAM) alongside colleague
Kelsey Martin. Her UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic was also honored by the Los Angeles County Medical Association and the Patient Care Foundation of Los Angeles County for exemplary leadership in shaping the future of health care. They were specifically recognized for "improving access to health services and education for children and families in underserved communities". During the
COVID-19 pandemic, Coleman became the 124th president of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology for a one-year term. In 2022, Coleman was selected as the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, ==References==