Peter taught mathematics, science and literature in secondary schools in South Australia, Western Australia and Tonga and later completed a PhD in the University of Western Australia's Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health.

From 1996 to 2003 he led the rural component of the South Australian Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Coordinated Care Trial and the Sharing Health Care SA chronic disease self management demonstration project. Between 2003 and 2008, he was a chief investigator with the first NH&MRC funded Centre of Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in Australia. From 2007-2014 Peter was the Director of the Flinders University Centre for Gambling research and manager of the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service in South Australia.

In 2014 he was appointed Director of the Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health in Warrnambool, Victoria and later Director (2016) of the newly formed University Department of Rural Health in Deakin University.

Peter retired from his university appointment in April 2017 and currently holds a conjoint clinical professorial appointment with Deakin University's School of Medicine and has academic status with Flinders University's College of Medicine and Public Health.