Darby Saxbe is a professor at USC and holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research includes studying the effects of stress hormones in couples and most importantly the changes that the male brain undergoes after becoming a parent. She has scientifically discovered slight gray matter loss in men following fatherhood and termed it Dad Brain. She is currently writing a book about her research. She’s also a wife, musician in a Mom Band and mother of two kids! In our conversation today we discussed:
Early influences on her scientific research
What it was like having two kids while getting your post doc
The neuroplasticity of the brain
Stress hormones in couples
How fatherhood reshapes men’s brains to make them more efficient
Changes in the ‘default mode network’ and the visual network in new Dads
How brain changes are different in new Dads vs. new Moms
The implications of her research for public policy, paid family leave and the support for new parents
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.
—
Where to find Darby Saxbe
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darbysaxbe/
X: https://twitter.com/Darbysaxbe
USC: https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/
Where to find Adam Fishman
FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:52] Welcome
[2:25] Professional background
[5:18] What was the spark for the research?
[8:26] Did having children during postdoc help shape research?
[10:08] Cortisol
[13:57] Dad brain
[25:55] Should we worry about brain shrinkage after becoming a parent?
[29:55] Brain efficiency in parenting
[31:33] Default mode and visual network for Dads
[35:43] Enhancement in social cognition
[38:06] Indifference
[40:35] Parental leave
[44:48] Darby’s book/ future research
[48:35] Advice to new parents/dads
[51:10] Follow along
[52:05] Darby’s Mom band
[54:55] Rapid fire
—
Show references:
Darby’s Research: https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/publications/
Prenatal prolactin predicts postnatal parenting attitudes and brain structure remodeling in first-time fathers: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453023003104
Darby on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=q676bXMAAAAJ
Dad Brain is Real: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/16/opinion/dad-brain-fatherhood-parenting.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0E0.biCq.04uwT7G2QN-x&smid=url-share
More on Dad Brain: https://theconversation.com/brain-study-identifies-a-cost-of-caregiving-for-new-fathers-227319
Cortical volume reductions in men transitioning to first-time fatherhood: https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article-abstract/34/4/bhae126/7645338?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
USC: https://www.usc.edu/
Fulbright: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/
UK Biobank: https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/
Scrooge McDuck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrooge_McDuck
Super Why: https://pbskids.org/superwhy/
Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/
Inside Out 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22022452/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Beetlejuice: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/
Throwing Muses: https://throwingmuses.com/
The Killers: https://www.thekillersmusic.com/
Breeders: https://www.thebreedersmusic.com/
Seven Up!: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058578/
Rushmore: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128445/
A Hard Day’s Night: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058182/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
The Science of 'Dad Brain' | Darby Saxbe (Mom of 2, USC Professor & Researcher)