The major research efforts of the Akella's research group are focused on designing and synthesis of new ligands for organometallics and polymers (including metal-alkyls, hydrides, carbonyls, carbenes, clusters, carboranes and metallocenes), and applications in catalysis, fabrication of advanced materials and bioactivity studies.

In addition, the Akella's research group has extensively been engaged with the development of more selective and efficient catalysts with particular relevance to industrially important catalytic reactions including ethylene oligomerization and polymerization reactions.