One of Canada's most distinguished neurologists, Karpati was until his death in February, 2009, a world-renowned expert on neuromuscular diseases. He was an expert in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a form of the disease that affects boys. In 2001, in recognition of his "seminal contributions in the area of muscular dystrophy," he was admitted as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Among his other distinctions, he was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Dr. Karpati was the Izaak Walton Killam Professor of Neurology at the MNI.