Simon Petersen-Jones DVetMed PhD DVOphthal DipECVO Hon member ACVO MRCVS. Professor of Comparative Ophthalmology, Myers-Dunlap Chair for Canine Health.

Simon Petersen-Jones is a clinician/scientist. He completed veterinary college and then ophthalmology residency training at The Royal Veterinary College, University of London leading to board certification by the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Following a faculty position at University of Edinburgh he completed a PhD at Cambridge University studying the molecular genetics of inherited retinal degeneration in dogs. He also developed the first DNA based test for an inherited retinal disease in dogs. He has spent the last 25 years at Michigan State University with a clinical and research appointment. He is full professor of comparative ophthalmology and holds the Myers-Dunlap Endowed Chair in canine health. His research group have identified several spontaneous inherited eye diseases in dogs and cats. Some of these have been established as research colonies for study of disease phenotype with an emphasis on comparative aspects and also for the development and testing of translatable therapeutic approaches to save vision. He has worked on gene therapy in RPE65, PDE6A and CNGB1 mutant dogs in support of human clinical trials. Additional therapies are also being tested in CABP4 and GUCY2D mutant dogs and RDH5 and CRX mutant cats. These are large animal models for types of LCA, retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod synaptic dysfunction.

He has received the following awards for his contributions to veterinary and comparative ophthalmology: The Simon Award (British Small Animal Veterinary Association); Pfizer Research Excellence Award (twice – once in the UK and once in the US); Honorary Veterinary Alumnus Award (Michigan State University), and he was selected as an honorary member of American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. He is a member of the scientific board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and is a regular reviewer for several scientific journals and an industry consultant.