{"id":27503,"date":"2026-04-28T09:25:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=27503"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:27:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T23:27:47","slug":"dad-brain-is-real-its-reshaping-our-understanding-of-fatherhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/dad-brain-is-real-its-reshaping-our-understanding-of-fatherhood\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Dad brain\u2019 is real. It\u2019s reshaping our understanding of fatherhood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                    \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/57_DD_dad-brain-_Central-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/57_DD_dad-brain-_Central-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/57_DD_dad-brain-_Central-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/57_DD_dad-brain-_Central-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Photo of father holding his baby.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A new book by USC Dornsife&#8217;s Darby Saxbe uncovers the way men&#8217;s brains change once they become a dad. (Image Source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>\u2018Dad brain\u2019 is real. It\u2019s reshaping our understanding of fatherhood<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  We\u2019ve known that having a child changes women\u2019s brains. Now, research is finding it changes men\u2019s brains, too. \n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">April 28, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" 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cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New fathers may be losing brain volume, and that could be a good thing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was one of the striking findings shared by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/darby-saxbe\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Darby Saxbe<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, professor of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psychology<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences during a recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/dornsife-alumni\/dornsife-dialogues\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dornsife Dialogues <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discussion centered on her new book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Dad-Brain-Science-Fatherhood-Shapes\/dp\/1250387523\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men\u2019s Lives<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which debuts in June. Saxbe\u2019s research shows that men\u2019s brains change after the birth of a child, particularly in areas linked to empathy and social understanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking with USC Dornsife Dean <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/our-leadership\/james-bullock\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">James Bullock<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Saxbe described her studies tracking first-time dads from pregnancy through early infancy. Brain scans revealed reductions in each father\u2019s gray matter after their child\u2019s birth. Rather than signaling decline, she said, the changes likely reflect the brain becoming more efficient, like editing a film to focus on the essential story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2126441\/episodes\/19084769-the-science-of-fatherhood.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-19084769&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her book builds on that finding to challenge a long-standing assumption that caregiving is something only mothers are naturally wired to do. Instead, Saxbe argues, fatherhood is highly adaptable, especially if fathers are committed to the role. \u201cThe more dads wanted to engage in parenting and were invested in it, the more the brain changed,\u201d Saxbe said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conversation also explored the emotional realities of new parenthood. More involved fathers reported higher stress, fatigue and even symptoms of depression, emphasizing that deeper engagement can bring both rewards and strain during the transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to paid paternity leave, Saxbe noted, was linked to lower stress for fathers and reduced depression among mothers, suggesting policy plays a key role in shaping family health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saxbe\u2019s book goes beyond neuroscience, examining how fatherhood influences relationships, careers and identity. She frames modern fatherhood as a model of \u201cpro-social masculinity,\u201d centered on caregiving, patience and connection. Her research is part of a larger shift in our understanding of what it means to be a dad, and how much the new role of parent changes men themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qm5-ZD5tw5E?si=PSaAaHFWzSNHa2GE\" title=\"Dornsife Dialogues: The Science of Fatherhood\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/birth-of-a-story-how-new-parents-find-meaning-after-childbirth-hints-at-how-they-will-adjust\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Birth of a story: How new parents find meaning after childbirth hints at how they will\u00a0adjust<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/predicting-new-fathers-parenting-style\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >A father\u2019s parenting style could be predicted in advance of his child\u2019s birth<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/postpartum-depression-can-affect-dads-and-their-hormones-may-be-to-blame\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Postpartum depression can affect dads \u2013 and their hormones may be to blame<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve known that having a child changes women\u2019s brains. Now, research is finding it changes men\u2019s brains, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":27504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,16,24],"tags":[54,112,91],"class_list":["post-27503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-science-and-technology","category-social-impact","tag-events","tag-psychology","tag-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Dad brain\u2019 is real. It\u2019s reshaping our understanding of fatherhood<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve known that having a child changes women\u2019s brains. 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