Research proposal - schizophrenia?

[Madi]

Hello,

I have recently completed a bachelor's degree with a psychology major, and am now enrolled in a one-year Master of Brain and Mind Sciences. Our capstone assignment is to put forth a 3000-word research proposal. I'm having big trouble pinning down a research question... I feel like I've had a bomb dropped on me and that I'm expected to know everything that has ever been discovered about the subject area, and to instinctively know what needs to be done next! I've only just turned 21 and emerged from undergrad; most of the other students in my course are 26+, and are already experienced clinicians, research assistants, etc.

I know that I'm interested in schizophrenia, and am intrigued by the role of synapse regression before diagnosis. However, the proposed research cannot be a long-term study, so I can't really track the decline in synapse connectivity over a particularly long period of time. I'm interested in what triggers positive symptoms, but don't know how I can ethically implement that into a study. Animal models are a possibility, but how can schizophrenia be induced in a rat?? I have a little knowledge of neuroscience, but no background in pharmacology, so I'm having trouble coming up with a treatment condition for the study...

I met my kind-of supervisor about 10 days ago, and we didn't get on well at all. He's a professor of psychiatry and really didn't want to be in the meeting at all, hurrying to leave by the end. He was condescending, impatient, and didn't give me any encouragement whatsoever. Any ideas or advice from someone here would be greatly appreciated =)

- Madi