Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and will lead to a worldwide public health crisis if it continues unchecked. Despite tremendous advances in our scientific understanding of AD, we still do not have effective ways to delay, prevent, or slow this disease. At the 2011 Abelson meeting, a diverse group of scientists discussed current challenges in the AD field and made recommendations in the areas of genetics, clinical trials, protein aggregation, and the cell biology of the nervous system. We hope these recommendations will boost research progress in AD and increase the likelihood of developing effective therapies in the near future.