Nirupa Sachithanandan is an endocrinologist based at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. She looks after people with hormone and metabolism problems, from day-to-day issues to more complex and less common conditions.
Hormones affect a lot in the body, so the work can cover many different situations. This includes things like Cushing’s syndrome, excess hormone problems from the adrenal glands, and pituitary conditions such as hypopituitarism, Sheehan syndrome, and empty sella syndrome. At times, she also sees patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
Low blood sugar is another big area of care. She works with adults and children who have problems like insulinoma, metastatic insulinoma, congenital hyperinsulinism, and newborn low blood sugar. Some patients also have other related endocrine issues that can affect how the body controls sugar and energy.
She also manages conditions that can be linked to tumours and growth signals. This may include neuroendocrine tumours, pancreatic cancer, and other hormone-secreting growths. For adrenal cancers and adrenocortical carcinoma, care is usually done closely with the broader hospital team, so patients get a plan that fits their overall situation.
Electrolytes and salt balance can be part of the picture too, including low sodium levels. Parathyroid problems are also covered, such as parathyroid adenoma and parathyroid cancer, along with issues like hyperaldosteronism. And in some cases, she supports people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), where steady hormone and sugar management can really make a difference.
Over time, her endocrinology work has included caring for both complex hormone disorders and serious conditions that need careful follow-up. Her training sits within endocrinology, helping her understand how these hormone conditions connect with the rest of the body. If a person needs ongoing support, she focuses on clear next steps and making sure patients know what’s being checked and why.