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I want to pursue a PhD at an institution I don't know first hand. As lab websites or personal webpages don't really reveal the personalities of professors, it isn't easy to know in advance which professor's working style and personality could match my own.

Are there ways to determine whether a professor will be a good match for me?

I want to pursue a PhD at an institution in Japan that I don't know first hand. As lab websites or personal webpages don't really reveal the personalities of professors, it isn't easy to know in advance which professor's working style and personality could match my own.

Are there ways to determine whether a professor will be a good match for me?

I want to pursue a PhD (in the area of Biophysics/Condensed Matter Physics) and I have contacted several professors at the institute I want to study (University of Tokyo). From personal experience, I know lab websites don't reveal personalities of professors, in particular, it is not possible to discover whether a professor is pleasant to work with. How can I determine whether a professor is pleasant? In particular, how can I identify the professor most favoured by their students? Also, how can I identify professors to avoid?

I want to pursue a PhD at an institution I don't know first hand. As lab websites or personal webpages don't really reveal the personalities of professors, it isn't easy to know in advance which professor's working style and personality could match my own.

Are there ways to determine whether a professor will be a good match for me?