Peter Meyer completed his medical studies in Basel in 1987 and followed with a year of speciality training in Internal Medicine. Until 1993 he undertook speciality training in Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Surgery at the Eye Clinic of the University of Basel. Between 1991 and 1994 he worked in basic research at the University Hospital Basel within a Swiss National Foundation project under Professor Lüscher about ophthalmic vascular physiology.
Peter Meyer developed a novel perfusion system in animal experiments for the evaluation of ocular microcirculation. With this, different substances and drugs that are of significance to ophthalmic circulation could be tested. The results built the foundation of his postdoctoral lecture qualification (2001; „Untersuchungen an isolierten Blutgefässen und am perfundierten Auge – ein Beitrag zur Physiologie der okulären Perfusion“).
In 1995 Peter Meyer undertook further speciality training under Professor Daicker at the Eye Hospital in Basel and took over direction of the department after he retired. In 1998 he absolved further speciality under Professor Naumann at the Clinic Erlangen in ophthalmic pathology and oncology for ophthalmology. Besides the direction of the Department of Ophthalmic Pathology, Peter Meyer is also clinically active and undertakes conciliar oncologic consultations.
In 2008 Peter Meyer became associate professor of the University of Basel. His current research activities include neurodegenerative diseases of the optic nerve, especially glaucoma, with basic research on meningothelial cells of the optic nerve sheath, as well as clinical pathological studies with eye tumours.