Memphis Physician and Artist, Malini Gupta leads the way

By JAMES DOWD

A fast-growing, multidisciplinary area of endocrinology that uses minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat thyroid disorders is increasingly being practiced in Memphis, and Malini Gupta, MD, is promoting its use.

Interventional thyroidology uses thermal energy to shrink targeted thyroid and parathyroid tissue. Gupta performs the procedure at G2Endo, the practice she founded in 2010.

“Radiofrequency ablation offers a non-surgical alternative to invasive surgery,” Gupta said. “This is an outpatient procedure that has globally become an accepted gold-standard option.” 

To bring greater attention to the field, Gupta helped form the North American Society for Interventional Thyroidology (NASIT) several years ago. She chairs the organization’s Ethics Committee, and said support and case review from other members has been invaluable.  

“I’m committed to elevating the level of thyroid care in the Mid-South,” Gupta said. “There is too little awareness of what is now possible, and I want to change that.”

In addition to performing ultrasounds and doing fine needle aspirations in her office, Gupta often serves on faculty for the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), teaching in hands-on labs at these meetings. She served as AACE chair of Thyroid Disease State Network in 2025, and is a candidate for the AACE Board of Directors.

“The work I do is to increase awareness of thyroid issues, because that landscape is changing and I want patients to benefit from research and new techniques,” Gupta said. “There are many conditions related to the thyroid that are prevalent across the Mid-South, including diabetes, and we must continue to update our medical practices to offer the best care possible.”  

Gupta grew up in Memphis in a household where endocrinology was the family business. Her father, Dr. Ramesh Gupta, is a respected rheumatologist and immunologist. And she is passionate about raising the standards for thyroid and solid tumor care, in part because she no longer has a thyroid. 

“I found my own cancer while fixing my ultrasound machine,” Gupta said. “It has really helped me better understand what patients need.” 

Gupta, who has a special interest in thyroid eye disease, pituitary disease, and autoimmune thyroid disease, has been invited to speak on these topics in national webinars and lectures in India and Indonesia. She conducts clinical research through Shelby Research, founded by her father.

“Working with my father is one of the great pleasures of my career,” Gupta said. “I’ve learned so much from him, not only in the medical field, but also in realizing the importance of work-life balance.”   

A graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Gupta received bachelor’s degrees in biology and English Literature and Creative Writing from Washington University. She won awards in medical school at University College Cork in Ireland, and trained at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

In addition to her medical work, Gupta finds great satisfaction in pursuing creative outlets. After launching G2Endo, Gupta found that she could use the arts to teach her patients about endocrinology. She uses non-toxic medical waste as her medium in her art, and collects outdated textbooks, old journals, contact lens cases, and plastic vial flip tops to create works of art.

“I’m always doing something in the arts to educate patients and express my creative side,” Gupta said. “There’s so much to learn, and I love exploring new things. I find great satisfaction in creating and sharing.”

Mottenai: Regret Over Medical Waste

Many of the pieces bring attention to the issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals, Gupta said. Locally, she hopes to encourage schools and hospitals to adopt the reduction of plastics, Styrofoam, and flame retardants and start more eco-sustainable practices. 

Gupta emphasized that while considered a relatively new area of research, environmental endocrinology is vitally important. One of her goals is to bring greater awareness of how these exposures impact health.

“There is a growing acknowledgement that chemicals and plastics change the way humans metabolize hormones,” Gupta said. “We have a responsibility to keep pushing ourselves to help create better lives for others.”