Her research areas include music of the 20th and 21st century, computer music and music technology, digital musicology, musical performance practices and archiving music. A special emphasis lies on examining the intersection of music research and artistic practice. Within the framework of “Lullabyte,” the researches focus is set on the effect of music on sleep.

Akkermann received a PhD in musicology from the Berlin University of the Arts in 2014, and completed her habilitation in 2023 at Bayreuth University. Since April 2024, she holds the Ernst-von-Siemens endowed professorship for new music at FU Berlin.