The mission of the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable (AARR) is to advance the research, development and management of new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. AARR brings together industry leaders with top scientists from around the world to discuss key areas in Alzheimer's science.

About the Research Roundtable

Begun in 2003 with four members, the Research Roundtable now includes more than 20 corporate members. AARR member companies provide leadership and direction to the organization's various activities. Their scientists participate in the Roundtable to contribute to and benefit from the state-of-the-field scientific discourse, debate, and information sharing in order to advance the field of Alzheimer’s research and development.

Additional participants include invited investigators from academia and such international government organizations as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) of Japan, and the National Institutes of Health. 

Worldwide impact

Through the Research Roundtable, the Alzheimer's Association® brings together industry leaders with top scientists from around the world to discuss key areas in Alzheimer's science in a precompetitive platform. 

"I have been attending the Research Roundtable over the past three years and always look forward to these meetings. This is the best meeting forum around for Alzheimer's disease drug developers."

Alzheimer's researcher
The Roundtable convenes twice each year for coverage of topics identified by Roundtable members as the most current critical needs. The Roundtable may also focus on specific issues facing the AD field that impact many of the member companies by forming a Task Force or Work Group.

Roundtable members explore a broad range of Alzheimer's cutting edge science topics, including:

  • New data and technologies that may improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, especially in its earliest and mildest stages.
  • Neuropsychological testing, genetic factors, and biochemical and neuroimaging biomarkers that could contribute to an earlier and more accurate Alzheimer's diagnosis.
  • Lessons learned about clinical trial design that may help shape future clinical trials, including the use of biomarkers for the development of drugs aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of Alzheimer's.
  • The pros and cons of various scales as outcomes measures of clinical trials.

Research Roundtable publications

The outputs of Roundtable meetings are published as articles in the Alzheimer's Association's journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia® and have had major impacts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the NIA/AA diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease published in 2011 were first highlighted as needed in the field at an AARR meeting.

View the Research Roundtable of the Alzheimer's Association Record of Publications (PDF).

Current members

Abbvie logo
Acumen logo
Alector logo
Athira Pharma logo
Biogen logo
Bristol Myers Squibb
Cogstate
Eisai logo
Enigma Technologies
Genentech logo
Janssen logo
Lilly logo
Merck logo
Novartis logo
Novo Nordisk logo
Prothena logo
Signant Health logo
Takeda logo
Vaccinex logo
WCG logo

Funding research

The Research Roundtable sponsors the Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant. The principal investigator of the project is invited to give a progress report at a Roundtable meeting.

Learn more about the Alzheimer's Association grants program and its research funding.

2022 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Stephanie Schultz
Understanding biomarker and clinical heterogeneity in autosomal dominant AD

Charles Windon
Disparities in Neurodegeneration Through a New Lens, SDOH in New IDEAS

2021 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Tharick Ali Pascoal
High-performance plasma phosphor-tau predicts dementia, tau and amyloid PET

Zoë Van Acker
The lysosomal exonuclease PLD3 as a late-onset Alzheimer’s risk factor

Lingani Mbakile-Mahlanza
Validation of a cognitive assessment battery in the Botswana population

2020 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Danielle Beckman
Tau pathology and propagation in a monkey model of Alzheimer’s disease

Shea Andrews
Assessing the causal role of mitochondria in Alzheimer’s disease

2018 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Simon Dujardin
Understanding tau protein seeding in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease

Elena Portacolone
Scalable strategies to recruit African Americans into dementia research, University of California, San Francisco

2017 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Shana D. Stites
Study of the Psychosocial Effects of Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease, University of Pennsylvania

Annamaria Cattaneo
Characterization of Human Alzheimer’s Disease Brain-Derived Exosomes on Tau Propagation, Boston University Medical Campus

2016 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Holly Cukier
Investigating a Frameshift Deletion in ABCA7 of African Origin Using iPSC, University of Miami

Annina Maria DeLeo
Characterization of Human Alzheimer’s Disease Brain-Derived Exosomes on Tau Propagation, Boston University Medical Campus

2014 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardees

Todd Cohen
A pathogenic role for tau acetylation in Alzheimer's disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chun-ling Dai
Role of O-GlcNAcylation in tau pathology and cognitive function, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. at NYS Institute for Basic Research

2013 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Minerva Carrasquillo
AD Risk Prediction, Cognitive Decline & Gene Regulation at the TREM2 locus, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

2012 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Jed Meltzer
Detection of early cortical pathology using MEG and speech analysis, Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest

2011 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Jennifer Manly
Offspring of ethnically diverse people with and without AD, Columbia University Medical Center

2010 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe
A Multi-dyad Cognitive Rehabilitation Intervention, Washington State University

2009 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Brenda Plassman
Middle and Late- Life Predictors of Alzheimer’s Disease in Elderly Twins, Duke University Medical Center

2007 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

Greg Sachs
AD and Access to Palliative Care, Indiana University

2006 Dale Schenk Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable Grant Awardee

David Reuben
Practice Redesign and Partnership to Improve Quality of Dementia Care, The Regents of the University of California

Join the Research Roundtable

Membership terms are for 12 months. If you are ready to join the best minds in Alzheimer's research, please contact:

Tommy Morris
Senior Director, Corporate Initiatives
tomorris@alz.org