Home  /  Special Initiatives  /  CNI-X

Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University

"I loved learning about all different aspects of neuroscience/physiology and hearing from all the amazing researchers and professors. I also loved getting the opportunity to work with a small group of students from around the nation and develop meaningful friendships as well as further our passion for the subject. I really liked how we were able to have fun conversations, but still be on track."

CNI-X Participant

What is CNI-X?

The Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University is an intensive summer program that generally follows a student’s sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school. Students attend a two-week (10-day) session which provides introductory exposure to fascinating topics in neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology plus an opportunity to complete a collaborative capstone project.

During each session, students from across California, the country, and the world are exposed to the breadth of research found in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Through interactive seminars with Stanford faculty and researchers, students learn about principles of neuroscience, clinical neuropsychiatry, neuroscience research, psychiatric epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, and more. CNI-X also covers topics important to young people, including professional and career opportunities in medicine and science, plus self-care strategies in the transition to adulthood. 

In addition to participating in interactive lectures, students in each session will spend guided time working in small teams to develop innovative, novel solutions to social issues related to psychiatry, psychology, or neuroscience. These ideas and solutions will then be presented at a final capstone session in front of an audience of classmates, families, and the program’s faculty and staff.

CNI-X is a fast-paced, intense, challenging, creative, and bonding experience for students. Previous students have come from very diverse academic backgrounds, and have a wide range of career aspirations, including law, sociology, medicine, psychology, engineering, business, fine arts, and more.

2024 Program Dates and Fees*

Session 1 (Virtual via Zoom) June 17 – June 28, 2024: $1,495
Session 2 (In-person on campus) July 8 – July 19, 2024: $$2,795
Session 3 (In-person on campus): July 22 – August 2, 2024: $2,795

*Scholarships are available for qualified applicants. Please request financial assistance as directed in the application.

"It was so informative and educational! I was surprised at how much we had access to...and how encouraging [the professors] were. It was my privilege to meet them and they treated me with so much respect and understanding."

CNI-X Participant

Examples of past topics and activities

  • Eating Disorders: Body Image
  • Early Intervention Programs
  • Mindfulness: Reducing Stress and Promoting Wellness for Youth
  • Emotions and Building a Brain
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Design Thinking for Clinical Innovation
  • Why Sleep?
  • Gender Differences in the Brain
  • Sports Psychiatry
  • Psychosocial Intervention for Early Psychosis
  • Brain Stimulation
  • Human Brain Models of Disease
  • Intolerance of Uncertainty Across OCD and Related Disorders
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Neuroimaging
  • The Mind and Diet
  • Zebra Fish Laboratory Tour
  • Addictions in our World
  • Treatment for Autism
  • Genetics in Everyday Life and Mental Health
  • Trauma, Mental Health and Human Rights

"I love the program a lot. I thought it was very informative and engaging. I learned a lot about neuroscience and the brain, and now I definitely want to pursue a career in this field.”

CNI-X Participant

How do I apply?


The application period is closed. All applicants will receive notification of their status in early April 2024.

Students will learn and talk about a wide range of topics, some fascinating, some exciting, and some quite serious. Applicants should be aware that sensitive topics in psychiatry may arise, including but not limited to suicide, psychosis, addiction, child abuse, sexual assault, violence, and mental disorders, and should not apply if this will be problematic for them.

*All program activities will be conducted in English and participants should have high proficiency to fully engage in lectures and discussions.

“The capstone project helped us create an actual change in our community.”

CNI-X Participant

CNI-X Leadership

Co-Director, Chairman, Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor
Co-Director, Professor, Associate Chair – Director of Education
Assistant Director, Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Sr. Education Program Manager

Past Faculty and Presenters

Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Major Laboratories and Clinical Translational Neurosciences Incubator)
Adjunct Professor, Psych/Public Mental Health & Population Sciences
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Medical Psychiatry
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Senior Research Scientist, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Medical Psychiatry
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)
Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Bonnie Uytengsu and Family Director of the Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)
Assistant Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research)
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Major Laboratories & Clinical Translational Neurosciences Incubator) and, by courtesy, of Radiology (Neuroimaging and Neurointervention)
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Sleep Medicine)