MBBS FRACP PhD
Dr Anup Desai is a specialist Sleep and Respiratory Physician. He sees all Sleep and Respiratory cases, though he has a particular interest in non-respiratory Sleep Disorders, such as insomnia, parasomnias, restless legs, narcolepsy, and unexplained sleepiness. He also has extensive experience in issues related to obstructive sleep apnoea and driving and has helped to draft the latest government guidelines in this area. His focus is on a broad and realistic approach to each patient’s sleep disorder. For instance, when treating obstructive sleep apnoea, treatment advice will consider CPAP, dental splint management, ENT procedures, managing nasal disease, weight loss and possibly positional therapy. Dr Desai has established strong collaborative relationships with other local experts, including ENT surgeons, dentists, CPAP technicians & sleep psychologists to achieve consistent & effective outcomes for his patients.
Dr Anup Desai graduated from The University of Sydney in Medicine and underwent Basic Physician training at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. He was then offered an Advanced Trainee position in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Towards the end of this Specialist training program he commended a PhD in Sleep Medicine at the University of Sydney. He was awarded several grants and prizes for this period of research (The Harry Windsor Postgraduate Research Scholarship; Royal Australasian College of Physicians – CONROD Fellowship; project grants from the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW, NSW Roads and Traffic Authority and St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney). As he finished his PhD degree, he was awarded the Allen and Hanburys Overseas Traveling Fellowship from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand to study in the UK. In 2003, he worked in the UK as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Sleep Investigation Unit, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, in collaboration with Professor A. Williams. During his experience abroad, he also worked as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, where his main responsibility was to set up a large public hospital sleep laboratory, the largest in Birmingham at that time.
After returning to Sydney in 2004, Dr Desai commenced work at The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research (Sleep Medicine clinical trials unit, becoming Head of the Unit in 2006) and at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Associate Physician). He continued these roles for several years while at the same time building up a private clinical practice in Camperdown. In 2008, he was awarded a Senior Staff Specialist role at The Prince of Wales Public Hospital in Randwick. At that stage he established a private clinical practice in Randwick at The Prince of Wales Private hospital. He continues his Prince of Wales Public Hospital role today, as well as two private clinical practices in Sydney city CBD and Randwick. His other major roles at present include Conjoint Senior Lecturer, UNSW; Medical Assessor NSW Motor Accidents Authority; Medical Review Panel NSW Motor Accidents Authority, and NSW WorkCover Trained Assessor of Permanent Impairment.