Dr Peter Brinsden was born in Peking, China, and lived in China, the United States, Canada and Hong Kong. He qualified from St George's Hospital, London, in 1966.
Peter joined the Royal Navy after qualifying. He served as a Ships Medical Officer, before beginning training as a gynaecologist, gaining the MRCOG in 1976 and FRCOG in 1989. He served in Naval Hospitals in Singapore, Malta, Gibraltar, as well as Portsmouth and Plymouth. He left the Navy in 1982 and went on to specialise in infertility. Peter worked at Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge, with Patrick Steptoe, the IVF pioneer who, with Nobel Laureate Professor Robert Edwards, was responsible for the birth of the world's first IVF baby Louise Brown in 1978. In 1989 he was appointed Medical Director at Bourn Hall, following the death of Patrick Steptoe. He was an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge from 1992 to 2007. He has visited China regularly since 1989 and has Visiting or Honorary Professorships at the City Medical University in Beijing, Peking Union Medical College and China Southern University.
Dr Brinsden was an Inspector for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority from 1997 to 2011. He lectures internationally on infertility and assisted reproduction and was President of the British Fertility Society 2009 - 2012.