Meet Martha Gulati, MD: One of the world’s most impactful Digital Opinion Leaders in Heart Failure

In our latest webinar demo, we reviewed Dr Henry Han’s profile in depth. Dr Han is currently ranked as the number one most impactful Digital Opinion Leader (DOL) in heart failure, according to our DOL Finder dashboard. Our HCP social media intelligence tool provides you with access to profiles of every HCP who talks about a particular disease online, along with insights into their digital activity and influence on their peers.

Let’s turn to DOL Finder to explore another HCP profile. Meet Martha Gulati, MD. Based in Los Angeles, Dr Gulati is a cardiologist practicing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

When you click on her profile in DOL Finder, you will see an overview of her digital impact. Dr Gulati ranks 5th globally among over 11,000 HCPs talking about heart failure online and is active across X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Bluesky. Her ranking is based on four key metrics: heart failure online activity, peer trust, social reach, and treatment activity. Dr Gulati ranks in the 99th percentile for all four of these metrics, revealing that she is not only active but highly trusted among her HCP peers.

When identifying the right DOLs for you, it is important to measure impact beyond vanity metrics, such as follower count, and identify influential DOLs based on metrics such as peer validation, trust, and impact. Moreover, understanding what HCPs are interested in based on their digital activity will enable you to engage with them more effectively and collaborate in a more meaningful way. DOL Finder is a tool that allows you to choose the right DOL for you, based on your goals and objectives.

Peer Trust

Trust and credibility is key in the dissemination of health and medical information. Peer trust is CREATION’s unique metric, which takes into account the number of times an HCP is referenced or amplified by their HCP peers in the online conversation. 

In the past year, Dr Galati was referenced 1,372 times by other HCPs when talking about heart failure, with other cardiologists such as Dr Ahmed Bennis and Dr Andrew Sauer frequently mentioning or tagging her in their social media posts. Additionally, HCPs amplified Dr Galati’s heart failure content by sharing her posts 465 times, indicating that she is viewed online as a credible source in the heart failure space. 

This level of engagement reflects the trust and impact Dr Galati has among other HCPs who rank highly in DOL Finder. It also indicates that Dr Galati is not simply at the center of the conversation, but that she forms part of a wider digital network of influential cardiologists.

Treatment Interest

Over the past year, Dr Galati discussed 15 products and 12 clinical trials in the heart failure space, without expressing strong sentiment. This reflects her interest in the evolving treatment landscape and may suggest that she is a data disseminator who provides timely social media updates on the latest advancements in heart failure, without adding significant opinion.

At the European Society of Cardiology Congress, there was significant buzz around trials such as VICTOR and FINEARTS and this is also reflected in Dr Galati’s profile. With DOL Finder’s optional verbatim module add-on, users can hover over charts and see exactly what HCPs are talking about when they mention these products and trials in their posts.

Heart Failure Activity

Dr Galati posted 402 times about heart failure alone over the past year. DOL Finder’s activity chart shows that Dr Galati was consistently active throughout the year. Significant spikes in conversation during August reveal Dr Galati’s particular interest in ESC Congress, as well as the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology’s joint statement on the prevention of heart failure.

The chart also shows that while she typically amplifies the content of others, she originated content more frequently during ESC Congress. As we reflected in our analysis of HCP online conversation during ESC 2025, “Medical congress meetings are no longer confined to four walls in one city. The scientific dialogue now stretches across borders in real time, powered by trusted HCP voices online.” Dr Galati is a prime example of using her voice on social media to summarise data shared during ESC and to disseminate key information to a global audience, including those who were unable to attend the congress in person.

Let’s look more closely at the type of content Dr Galati posts. As we already deduced from her interest in the latest clinical trials, it is not surprising that Dr Galati was highly engaged in conversations about research and data, as well as treatment. The hashtag bar chart further reveals her interest in cardiovascular prevention as she frequently used #cvprev. This is also reflected in the topic bar chart where prevention and screening is her fourth most discussed topic.

When #HeartFailure meets #CVPrev & it becomes the center of everything we do, we can start saving hearts.
Our joint @ASPCardio @JCardFail statement: The Continuum of Prevention & Heart Failure in Cardiovascular Medicine cochaired by myself & @dranulala https://t.co/TUG3lYK5T9 pic.twitter.com/Dh2zX26HhK

— Dr. Martha Gulati ♥️🫀❤️‍🩹🇨🇦 (@DrMarthaGulati) August 13, 2025

Thank you so much @CardiologyToday for covering this important statement that will hopefully translate into a new way of looking at heart failure- with a complete focus on prevention #CVPrev #functionnotfailure @ASPCardio https://t.co/MlMrQkBKIv

— Dr. Martha Gulati ♥️🫀❤️‍🩹🇨🇦 (@DrMarthaGulati) August 13, 2025

The verbatim posts above demonstrate Dr Galati’s involvement in efforts to make prevention a priority in heart failure care. The hashtag #functionnotfailure further reinforces this mission. Collaborating with HCPs on what they are passionate about is key to engaging and activating DOLs effectively.

Each profile on DOL Finder also shows the congresses and patient advocacy groups that were mentioned by the HCP, alongside their sentiment towards manufacturers. While Dr Galati mentioned various organisations, she did not mention manufacturers. This is consistent with typical HCP behaviour, as we often see limited discussion of manufacturers among HCPs. When HCPs mention manufacturers, it is usually when the manufacturer has sponsored a trial or collaborated with an organisation or patient advocacy group over an initiative.

A quick glance at the sites that Dr Galati shares reveals that she typically shares links to academic journals. Her profile also shows that she frequently amplifies or references her cardiologist peers, for example, Dr Andrew Sauer and Dr Muthiah Vaduganathan, as well as medical societies such as The Heart Failure Society of America and the European Society of Cardiology. These highlight the sources she trusts and chooses to amplify for her audience.

DOL Finder’s conversation network map highlights the different specialities that Dr Galati dialogued with in the online conversation. Hovering over the nodes reveals the individual HCPs who Dr Galati mentioned. Here we see that Dr Hany Ragy, who currently ranks number 17 in DOL Finder Heart Failure, was mentioned by Dr Galati 48 times over the past year. Understanding these peer-to-peer connections can uncover potential opportunities for meaningful collaborations within the online HCP community. 

Social Reach

The map above displays the geographic distribution of HCPs who mention Dr Galati in online conversations. This visual highlights not only the breadth of her global reach but also the regions where her influence is most significant. While her reach extends across multiple continents, it is particularly strong in the United States and Europe. With more than 60,000 followers on X alone, it makes sense that Dr Galati’s social reach among HCPs is vast.

Now let’s wrap up with a look at the terminology that Dr Galati uses to post about heart failure. DOL Finder’s word cloud component reinforces Dr Galati’s interest in prevention, particularly in the cardiovascular and heart failure space.

Understanding HCP social media activity is important for effective DOL engagement. Identifying HCPs, like Dr Galati, who demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing challenges and unmet needs in your therapy area is key as they are naturally inclined to collaborate with pharma leaders in finding solutions.

To learn more about DOL Finder or arrange your own personal demo, please get in touch.