Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men's Lives

A groundbreaking exploration of the science and significance of fatherhood that shows great dads are made, not born

Over the last decade, we’ve learned more about the transformative power of parenthood―biologically, psychologically, and socially―than ever before. But while the experience of motherhood has attracted well-deserved attention, fatherhood has remained overlooked and, often, misunderstood.

Now, in Dad Brain, field-leading psychologist Darby Saxbe, PhD, explains how becoming a father changes men, from their bodies and brain architecture to their hormones and sense of purpose. Inspired by her relationship with her dad, Saxbe has studied fathers and families for over twenty years. In her first book, she takes readers behind the scenes of her new research and around the world, from hunter-gatherers in the Congo to contemporary suburban dads, and into her pioneering studies of how parenthood shapes men’s brains and lives.

Readers may be surprised to learn that, in addition to altering a dad’s hormones and health (yes, men experience postpartum depression, and “dad bod” is real), parenthood can also benefit men. Dads who spend time with their kids sharpen their paternal instincts and even show more youthful brains in later life. Dads’ unique approach to play makes kids more resilient, and fathers bring new insights to workplaces and build better societies. Ultimately, fatherhood can help men discover a richer, more connected, and more meaningful life.

For fans of science-based storytelling that is also irreverent, funny, and personal, Dad Brain offers an illuminating, empowering, and optimistic new understanding of fatherhood that will become a must-read for every parent.

Darby Saxbe, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and tenured professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.

She has published over eighty scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and secured major research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. She earned awards from the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research in Child Development and was a Fulbright fellow. Dr. Saxbe received her PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA and her BA in English and psychology from Yale University.

Her research focuses on the transition to parenthood, particularly the neural and hormonal underpinnings of fatherhood. She integrates neuroscience and psychology to explore how close connections shape health and wellbeing.

When she is not doing research, she plays guitar in an all-mom indie rock band and writes the Substack newsletter, Natal Gazing. She was a mediocre contestant on the show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and recently lost a chili cookoff.