Professor Andrews is an eminent Queensland scientist and bio-entrepreneur with extensive understanding of the policy and economic development issues associated with science, research and innovation. He has led multifunctional scientific teams at research institutions in Victoria and Queensland. Peter has been at the forefront of initiatives to develop the Australian biotechnology industry and is active and vocal on the commercialisation of Australian science and research. Since 1985, he has founded, or co-founded, and/or been a director on more than 10 scientific companies. He now serves as a director of four Australian and two New Zealand companies in the life and agricultural science industries.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of Melbourne in 1965, he completed his PhD in 1969 and then devoted himself to researching molecular design, intermolecular interactions, drug structure and activity relationships, and molecular diversity.

In January 2000, together with Professor John Mattick AO, he established Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience - the only research institute in Australia to incorporate the full spectrum of molecular biosciences and work with national and international pharmaceutical industries to develop new therapeutics. He was also CEO of the Institute's commercialisation arm IMBcom from 2000-2003.

His achievements include the development of major research facilities at the Victorian College of Pharmacy (1980-1987), Bond University (1988-1990) and the Centre for Drug Design and Development (3D Centre) at the University of Queensland (1991-1999). He established the first Australian laboratory in the field of computer-assisted drug design at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (Australian National University) in 1975.