Clay Heighten, M.D. and Debra Caudy, M.D. have been married for 30 years and are the proud parents of three girls and one boy.
Their fourth child, Jon, was born with moderate to severe autism in 1997.
Clay and Debra have been involved for many years in supporting basic science research in understanding the causes of autism at UT Southwestern Medical School. Their donations created the Jon Brigham Heighten Endowed Scholar Fund, which currently supports the research of Dr. Genivieve Kopepka, who has accomplished milestones studying the PTEN gene that have garnered millions of dollars of additional NIH and private foundation grants. Direct contribution to the laboratory of Dr. Craig Powell for studies of the SHANK gene’s role in autism have also led to grants from the NIH in excess of $3 million.
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