A neuropathologist, Peter Pytel, MD, specializes in the examination of tissues from the nervous system and skeletal muscle. He examines surgical specimens — and in some cases autopsy material —which can be a critical step in the diagnosis of brain tumors, neuropathies, muscular dystrophies, inflammatory myopathies and other diseases. Dr. Pytel is a member of the multidisciplinary physician teams in the Brain Tumor Center and the Pediatric Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Center.

Dr. Pytel’s research is focused on neuromuscular diseases. In collaboration with other researchers, he conducts studies of muscular dystrophies. A growing list of inherited skeletal muscle diseases is reflective of the many unique developmental and functional properties of skeletal muscle tissue. By gaining a better understanding of these processes, medical researchers aim to discover and improve treatment strategies for these diseases.