Colin A Peters, DO

Dr. Colin Peters was always attracted to a career in health and science. After his biology degree at Le Moyne College, Syracuse, N.Y., he completed a master’s in clinical chemistry at University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. He started his career in the lab, helping to develop a vaccine for dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that infects hundreds of millions each year.

But he missed the personal connection with the people he was helping. “It was important work,” Dr. Peters recalls. “But I wanted to make a difference in my local community. I get enormous satisfaction helping people one-on-one,” he says. That inspired him to earn his medical degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Peters is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonology and critical care by the American Board of Internal Medicine: He is also working towards certification in sleep medicine.

Pulmonology was always an interest. “I had a family member with respiratory issues and I thought I could play a role helping others with similar conditions,” he says. He treats a variety of disorders, like shortness of breath, asthma, COPD and interstitial lung disease.

He also works in critical care and is medical director of the AtlantiCare Sleep Center. “We manage all sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, insomnia and sleep apnea. We sleep a good portion of our lives. Good sleep is so important to health, how you work and doing the things you love doing,” he says.

He also likes the educational component. “Everyone learns differently, so we use many resources to help our patients understand their condition. For some, that could be a video instead of paper. I point them towards the sources that I trust for accuracy,” he explains.