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
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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
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
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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
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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/
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