[6] She studied biophysics at St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, where she worked under the guidance of Tatiana Birshtein,[7] a polymer physicist at the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

During her undergraduate studies she also completed an exchange program at ETH Zurich[3] where she learned to analyze the structure of proteins using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

[5] After graduating in 2003, Anikeeva spent a year working in the Physical Chemistry Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she developed photovoltaic cells based on quantum dots (QDs).

[10] Anikeeva moved to Stanford University and was appointed to Karl Deisseroth's neuroscience laboratory as a postdoctoral scholar, where she created devices for optical stimulation and recording from brain circuits.

[18][19] By pursuing wireless technologies, Anikeeva's group has demonstrated techniques that use magnetic fields and injected nanoparticles to activate cells within mice brains.

The first is using the thermal drawing technique, a process originally developed for applications such as fiber optics and textiles, to create flexible polymer, fiber-based neural interfaces.

[26] Anikeeva and her colleagues have also shown that these magnetic nanomaterials can additionally be used to trigger drug delivery,[27] hormone release,[28] and for stimulating acid-sensing ion channels.

[31] During the BrainMind Special Forum on Neuromodulation + BCI + AI in June 2024,[32] Anikeeva explained how traditional sharp materials are dangerous when injected into the brain’s soft tissues.

[33] Much of Anikeeva's recent work emphasizes the interconnectedness of the brain and body, noting that many neurological conditions also involve gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.