The American Chemical Society honored Cleveland Clinic with a landmark designation for the 1948 discovery that shaped modern mental health treatment.
CLEVELAND — It started with a mystery in the blood — and the answer changed mental health treatment forever.
Cleveland Clinic has received the National Historic Chemical Landmark designation from the American Chemical Society, one of the most prestigious honors in the history of science. The recognition places the Clinic’s discovery of serotonin alongside other landmark achievements including the discovery of penicillin, the invention of warfarin, and the work of Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver.
The discovery that changed everything
In 1948, a Cleveland Clinic research team led by Dr. Irvine Page became the first to isolate serotonin from the blood. Page worked alongside scientists Arda Green and Maurice Rapport, who initially believed serotonin’s primary role was in the bloodstream. But isolating the molecule opened the door for further study — and researcher Betty Twarog later discovered that serotonin acts primarily as a neurotransmitter in the brain.
That finding reshaped our understanding of human biology. Serotonin is now known to influence mood, cognition, memory, appetite and sleep — and its effects extend well beyond the brain throughout the body.
From lab bench to medicine cabinet
The team’s work established a direct link between serotonin and brain function, laying the groundwork for decades of neuroscience research. Most significantly, it led to the development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors — SSRIs — among the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world.
Dr. Page’s contributions extended far beyond serotonin. He founded Cleveland Clinic’s first formal research division in 1945, and his work on hypertension and cardiovascular disease helped disprove the idea that atherosclerosis was simply an inevitable part of aging. He strengthened the link between diet and heart disease, demonstrated that hypertension could be treated and reversed and became an early advocate for what would become the National Academy of Medicine. His influence reached far beyond the lab — he once appeared on the cover of Time Magazine.
Cleveland Clinic’s chief research and academic officer, Dr. Serpil Erzurum, said the designation honors the clinic’s more than 100-year commitment to improving patient care through innovation and scientific discovery — and that Dr. Page’s spirit of bold inquiry still drives the institution’s research mission today.
The American Chemical Society will mark the honor with a commemorative plaque to be hung at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus.