Since 2023, Akiko has been the Director of the human rights organisation Liberty. She has a background in rights-based campaigning and policy work in mental health, racial justice and criminal justice, and has written widely on these issues. Previous roles include CEO of NSUN, the National Survivor User Network, Director of Mental Health Europe, and leading a service at Mind in Camden for people who hear voices, working in the community, youth services, forensic settings, and Immigration Removal Centres.
She is a trustee of Pro Bono Economics and the Chair of the Centre for Knowledge Equity. She is also a Professor in Practice at the Institute for Medical Humanities at the University of Durham.