Dr. Petersen-Jones earned his vet degree at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK in 1983. After 18 months in general practice, he returned to the Royal Veterinary College to complete a four-year residency in ophthalmology. He was awarded the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' specialist qualification in ophthalmology and then in 1995 became a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

He was head of the Ophthalmology Service at University of Edinburgh, Scotland, from 1988 to 1994. Then from 1994-1998, he was a Wellcome Trust Veterinary Research Career Development Fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK, where he also taught the ophthalmology course. He was awarded a PhD for his research into hereditary retinal diseases in dogs. He has been on the faculty at Michigan State University since 1998.

He has received awards for his contributions to veterinary science from the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and from Pfizer for his research achievements. He is co-editor of Small Animal Ophthalmology, the world's best-selling veterinary ophthalmology text, and the BSAVA "Manual of Small Animal Ophthalmology - A Problem Oriented Approach." He has written numerous book chapters and scientific articles on different aspects of veterinary ophthalmology and lectured in many countries around the world.