Guide
How to find key opinion leaders (KOLs) with Tnuki
Tnuki reads publications, clinical trials, research grants and congress programs for you, and hands back a ranked list of the people who matter in your field, each with the evidence. Here is how to go from a question to a list you can act on.
Updated October 14, 2026
The short version
- Ask in plain English. Name the field and what you sell, and ask for the people who matter, with the evidence behind each one.
- Narrow it down. Ask for exactly the people you need: trial investigators, a region, or rising stars.
- Check the evidence. Every person comes with the papers, trials and grants that put them on the list. Ask about any of it.
- Reach them. Ask for verified contact details and a first message that mentions their recent work.
- Keep it fresh. People move and new investigators appear with every trial. Come back before a launch or an advisory board and ask what changed.
Ask in plain English
Name the field and what you sell, and ask for the people who matter, with the evidence behind each one. Naming what you sell matters: Tnuki ranks people by how close their work is to your product, not just by fame.
Find the key opinion leaders in antibody-drug conjugates for breast cancer. I sell [what you sell]. For each person, include their institution, role, and the papers, trials and grants behind them.Try it →
Illustrative example: these people are made up. Your search returns real researchers, each with the papers, trials and grants behind them, and the table exports to CSV.
Prefer a form? The KOL Finder asks the same question for you: pick the field, the kinds of people and a region.
Narrow it down
Ask for exactly the people you need: trial investigators, a region, or rising stars. Type these in the same chat, after your first question.
Only keep investigators on recruiting Phase 2 or Phase 3 trials.
Focus on the US Northeast.
Add rising stars: early-career researchers who won their first NIH R01 in the last two years.
Check the evidence
Every person comes with the papers, trials and grants that put them on the list. Ask about any of it.
Show me the trials behind the top three.
Which of these people have published on HER2-low disease since 2024?
Reach them
Ask for verified contact details and a first message that mentions their recent work.
Find verified email addresses for the top five.
Draft a short first email to each, mentioning their most recent paper.
Which of them are speaking at ESMO 2026?
Keep it fresh
People move and new investigators appear with every trial. Come back before a launch or an advisory board and ask what changed.
What's new for the people on this list since last month?
What makes someone a KOL, and where Tnuki looks
A key opinion leader is a clinician or scientist whose work and views change how others in a field practice or research. Influence shows up in public records, which is what makes it findable. These are the places Tnuki reads for you:
| Source | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Publications | Who is doing the work, how recently, and who leads it (last or senior author) |
| Clinical trials | Who runs studies, in which phase, with which sponsor |
| Research grants | Where funding is going next, and which labs have budget |
| Congress programs | Who peers invite to speak, chair or present late-breaking results |
| Guidelines and societies | Who sets the standard of care |
Two habits make any KOL list better: rate influence and fit separately (a famous name far from your product is a poor first call), and look past the famous names to rising stars and regional experts, who are easier to reach and often the best early partners.
Frequently asked questions
What is a key opinion leader (KOL) in life science?
A KOL is a clinician or scientist whose work and views shape how others in a field practice or research: through the trials they run, the papers they publish, the guidelines they help write, and the talks they give at major congresses.
How does Tnuki decide who is a KOL?
It reads publications, clinical trials, research grants and congress programs for the field you name, then ranks people by how active and influential they are there and how close their work is to what you sell. Every name comes with the evidence, so you can check it.
Can it find rising stars, not just famous names?
Yes. Ask for rising stars, or tick Rising star in the KOL Finder, and Tnuki looks for early-career researchers who are publishing and winning grants in your area.
Can I export the list?
Yes. Every table exports to CSV, so the list can go into your CRM, a spreadsheet or an advisory-board plan.
How often should a KOL list be refreshed?
At least once a year, and again before a launch, an advisory board or a new trial. Researchers change institutions, new investigators appear with every new trial, and a list built two years ago misses the people who rose since.
Is it free?
Yes, finding KOLs with Tnuki is free to try, with no subscription or demo call.
Find the KOLs in your field
Name a therapeutic area, target or topic and what you sell, and get a ranked list of key opinion leaders, investigators and rising stars, with the evidence behind each one. Free to try.
Open the KOL FinderOr start from a therapeutic area: Oncology · Hematology · Alzheimer's · Cell and Gene Therapy