iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Darby Saxbe

Justin Lehmiller @justinlehmiller.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Research finds that 1 in 10 dads experience postpartum depression. In this episode, @darbysaxbe.bsky.social discusses the psychological transformation of becoming a father, including how it affects men’s mental health, identity, and relationships. www.sexandpsychology.com/blog/podcast...

sexandpsychology.com

Episode 531: Do Dads Get Postpartum Depression, Too? - Sex and Psychology

Can dads experience postpartum depression? In this episode, we explore how fatherhood affects men’s mental health, identity, and relationships.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I'm a clinical psychologist who has studied postpartum mental health. Given the research discourse questioning the legitimacy of postpartum depression, I wrote an explainer on PPD: how it is diagnosed, how common it is, what causes it, and how to treat it. substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Is postpartum depression real?

An explainer

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Justin Lehmiller @justinlehmiller.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Becoming a dad changes more than your life. It also changes your brain. Among other things, new fathers can experience changes in brain volume and shifts in testosterone. We explore the science of “dad brain” in this episode with @darbysaxbe.bsky.social www.sexandpsychology.com/blog/podcast...

sexandpsychology.com

Episode 530: The Surprising Science Of The Dad Brain - Sex and Psychology

Is “dad brain” real? In this episode, we explore how becoming a father changes men's brains, hormones, and bodies.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

My new essay is about why Pete Hegseth's new military testosterone screening initiative is dumb and reflects a poor understanding of hormones. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/pete-hegse...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Pete Hegseth doesn't understand hormones

Testosterone is not the measure of a military man

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Aaron Wistar @aaronwistar.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

New dads often imagine that they are not biologically “wired” to care for their kids in the same way that moms are. In Dad Brain, @darbysaxbe.bsky.social shows nothing could be further from the truth. An amazing, necessary book!

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Everyone is obsessed with testosterone these days - politicians call their opponents "low-T," RFK brags about his HRT, & the market for T supplements has exploded. But men's testosterone drops naturally around the transition to fatherhood, and that's adaptive. I unpack the research in a new essay.

Swedish advertisement for paternity leave featuring a muscular man holding a baby

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

I’m in NYC for just a couple days on book tour and look who I just happened to meet- @bradlander.bsky.social ! I told him I was a fan and we had a nice chat about fatherhood.

Darby Saxbe and Brad Lander holding up the book Dad Brain

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andrewxu87.bsky.social @andrewxu87.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

For many men, fatherhood is deeply transformative. It can rewire empathy and priorities, changing how they relate to the wider world. Dads matter, and their unique strengths deserve real recognition. Listen to my full podcast with @darbysaxbe.bsky.social here: open.spotify.com/episode/5Fxa...

open.spotify.com

Darby Saxbe on the Evolution of Fatherhood

Frames of Space · Episode

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Being on @ologies.bsky.social was a total blast and Alie Ward is the coolest!

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Such a fun conversation with the super smart @dkthomp.bsky.social

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Council on Contemporary Families @ccfamilies.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

TODAY is release day! Congratulations @darbysaxbe.bsky.social, @ccfamilies.bsky.social board member, on publishing "Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men's Lives." Read how fatherhood changes men's bodies, brains, relationships, and purpose below. ⬇️ tinyurl.com/sv7p8ejk

tinyurl.com

Dad Brain

A groundbreaking exploration of the science and significance of fatherhood that shows great dads are made, not bornOver the last decade, we’ve learned more...

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Reposted by Darby Saxbe

Emi Nietfeld @eminietfeld.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Check out @darbysaxbe.bsky.social's new book, Dad Brain, and some other parenting writers I love: @corinnelow.com @lydiakiesling.bsky.social

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Emi Nietfeld @eminietfeld.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I was SO petrified of experiencing PPD. I never thought my husband could be the one to struggle. thecut.com/article/fathers-paternal-postpartum-depression.html

thecut.com

Postpartum Depression is Coming for Fathers

Men are more involved parents than ever, and it’s leading to a crisis no one warned them about.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

I loved talking to @npr.org's Meghna Chakrabarti for On Point this summer. They re-aired the interview this weekend if you're curious to give it a listen! Link in comments.

Screenshot of NPR website with headline "The new science of 'dad brain'"

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I have a new essay up today on how the brain changes with second-time motherhood, featuring research by the @pregnancybrainlab.bsky.social

Image of figure depicting brain changes in new mothers

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Council on Contemporary Families @ccfamilies.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

You've heard of "mom brain" - but what about "dad brain"? @ccfamilies.bsky.social Board Member @darbysaxbe.bsky.social and her research were featured extensively in a BBC article on the profound brain and body changes men experience in preparation for fatherhood. www.bbc.com/future/artic...

bbc.com

Dad brains: How fatherhood rewires the male mind

From before their babies are born, men undergo serious hormonal changes that can powerfully influence their behaviour – with consequences for their child's wellbeing.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

My lab asked pregnant couples to discuss their plan for sharing infant care. After birth, we brought them back to the lab. We discovered that couples did not accurately predict their division of baby care, and parents fare better when dads do more. More here: darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/can-couple...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Can couples forecast a fair future?

Inside our study of how couples talk about their baby care futures

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Reposted by Darby Saxbe

Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Sharing this screen grab from a friend at NIH (with permission). This is a checklist program officers have to complete before a grant can be awarded. The first question: "Is this grant All Clean/Clear in the NIH Text analysis Tool?" 🧵1/3

Screen grab of an NIH grants checklist showing the first question is: "1. Is this grant All Clean/Clear in the NIH Text analysis Tool?"

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Contrary to the heteropessisism online, there's good news about egalitarian marriage in the latest time diary data: men's housework contributions are converging with women's and the gender gap is smaller than it's ever been. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/in-defense...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

In defense of husbands

The great housework convergence is here

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Julia Sliwa @juliasliwa.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Session 2:"Paternal instincts and fathers' brain" with @darbysaxbe.bsky.social , Wendy Saltzman and Marian Bakermans-Kranenberg

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Here's an irony of contemporary society: Most of us who work and socialize in adult spaces get very little time with babies and young children, while parents are isolated and overwhelmed. In my Substack this week, I advocate for more babies in public spaces and more baby time for all!

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

New essay about alloparenting, religion, & daycare. There's a strange energy swirling around motherhood in far-right circles, asserting the primacy of mothers as the only possible "natural" caregivers, but this ignores our evolution as cooperative breeders. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/daycare-is...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Daycare is not evil

Why motherhood isn't a solo project

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Scott Galloway recently told Derek Thompson on his podcast that childbirth is “disgusting” and “unnatural” for dads. I’ve studied fathers' experience of childbirth in my lab for years, and I think Galloway is wrong. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/scott-gall...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Scott Galloway is wrong about dads and childbirth

He called it “disgusting” for fathers, but that’s not what my research has found

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

My newsletter this week is about whether it's more fun to be a dad. I report on research finding that fathers enjoy parenting more than mothers do, and that millennial men are increasing their childcare time. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/dads-reall...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Dads really do have more fun

Why fathers seem to enjoy time with kids more than mothers do

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

New essay about feminism, family formation, and why a lot of feminism is better than some feminism when it comes to the welfare of kids and parents. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/has-femini...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Has feminism weakened the family and crushed the birth rate?

Linking women's advancement to family formation

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Reposted by Darby Saxbe

Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Don’t let Russell Vought trick Congress into destroying science by removing multiyear funding limits from the NIH funding bill.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

My newsletter this week is about whether feminism has hurt men’s economic prospects, led to discriminatory hiring, and increased inflation. Lots of spicy stuff to unpack! Link in comments

Screenshot from viral Australian skincare Tiktok showing a woman in a pink sweater and the caption "Bring back gender pay gap"

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

In my newsletter this week, I shared my starting-a-Substack tips and told the true story of being trolled by my 14-year-old son. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/how-to-win...

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

I have an essay in @theargument.bsky.social today, diving into the science on gender differences and making the case that, Mars and Venus style arguments aside, biological essentialism isn't well-supported by the evidence. www.theargumentmag.com/p/the-forbid...

theargumentmag.com

The forbidden truth about sex differences

Mars and Venus in retrograde

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

I wrote a newsletter this week about how I used to get panic attacks, but then I went to clinical psychology graduate school and figured out how to deal with them. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/how-to-cur...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

How to cure anxiety and fix your life

My long history of panic and how I fought it

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

New essay on monogamy: why it evolved, why marriage is good for stable societies, and why young people (especially young women) might be losing interest in it. open.substack.com/pub/darbysax...

open.substack.com

Monogamy is good, actually

How marriage evolved and why it stabilizes societies

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Reposted by Darby Saxbe

Sofi Cárdenas, PhD @sofiacardenas.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

At #ISDP2025! 🧠 Catch my poster (P2.47) on sleep + cingulum white matter in first-time fathers. Thanks to Quester for helping me get this poster organized! (www.quester.xn--tech)-sw3b @darbysaxbe.bsky.social

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

My new essay this week is all about the unexpected twists and turns of the design process for the cover of my new forthcoming book...and includes some very silly rejected ideas. substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

BOOK COVER REVEAL!!!!

Plus all the cover ideas rejected along the way

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

It's true! We've written five of these one-day papers so far.

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

My new essay describes our lab's research on how face masks affect the brain's processing of emotion. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/how-covid-...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

How COVID masks messed with our minds

How the brain processes the emotional expressions of masked faces

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

I just published my first piece with The Argument, and it's about why parents should let their kids go to the roller rink on their own. You're not the captain of the parenting police www.theargumentmag.com/p/youre-not-...

theargumentmag.com

You're not the captain of the parenting police

Let kids exist in public

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Massive turnout at the #NoKings protest in Pasadena. Calm, peaceful, multigenerational crowd. Patriotic signs and American flags everywhere. I’m still waiting for my check from Soros.

Protester holding a sign that says “Resisting tyrants is patriotic.”

Person in chicken suit holding up No Kings sign

Person at protest holding up We Love America sign

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Great crowd at USC for a rally celebrating our decision to say no to the Compact! A letter opposing the Compact was signed by 1500 members of our university community. @ryanboyd.bsky.social @aaup.org @sanjaymadhav1.bsky.social

Picture of signatures on the petition opposing the Compact

Picture of the petition in front of a speaker

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

I wrote about whether universities are "too woke" and suffering from "ideological capture." darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/are-univer...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Are universities too woke to exist?

No, we should not defund all universities because of "ideological capture"

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Sofi Cárdenas, PhD @sofiacardenas.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Our paper is finally out @darbysaxbe.bsky.social @genesisflores.bsky.social! Expectant fathers raised in riskier environments show lower white matter integrity in limbic regions and less effective parenting, even controlling for depressive symptoms. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.org

Risky family environment, white matter organization, and effective parenting in expectant fathers | Development and Psychopathology | Cambridge Core

Risky family environment, white matter organization, and effective parenting in expectant fathers

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The Research Center for Group Dynamics @rcgd-isr.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

The RCGD series on the Science of Social Relationships continues Monday with a talk from @darbysaxbe.bsky.social on the transition to fatherhood. The talk will review studies on hormone and brain changes across the transition to parenthood in first-time human fathers. buff.ly/92KtRNS

The Science of Social Relationships
RCGD fall 2025 SEMINAR SERIES
ISR Thompson 1430 | Mondays 3:30 to 5
Darby Saxbe | 09.29.25

The Transition to Fatherhood as a Window for Neural, Hormonal, and Psychological Remodeling

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

New essay today about how parents of the olden days were actually TERRIBLE, the phenomenon of "baby farming," and why intensive parenting is a modern invention. darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/the-bad-pa...

darbysaxbe.substack.com

Terrible parents of yore

How intensive parenting became an aspirational status symbol

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Really important and sobering analysis

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Darby Saxbe @darbysaxbe.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

The party of “viewpoint diversity” and “campus free speech” is back at it

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Anthony Vaccaro @agvacca.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Our new study in Emotion! Parents report higher satisfaction yet lower daily happiness- the 'parenting paradox'. So in the transition to parenthood, how do we study well-being? We studied how new fathers adapt by examining meaning/purpose and brain connectivity. psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...

psycnet.apa.org

APA PsycNet

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

I often talk about the fact that MAGA does not access the same news as the left wing. I present to you Exhibit A. Dr. Daskalakis’ resignation letter excoriated RFK Jr. and shared that RFK Jr. was lying to the public, manipulating data, and ordering unethical actions. This what Fox News served.

Screenshot from Fox News that says

CDC official includes
'pregnant people' terminology and pronouns in resignation letter
Daskalakis accused President Trump's administration of attempting 'to erase transgender populations'
By Alex Nitzberg • Fox News
Published August 28, 2025 1:47pm EDT

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Early Childhood Matters @ecm-vanleer.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

🧠 Thanks to research from @darbysaxbe.bsky.social we know fatherhood transforms men’s brains in profound ways, and many dads face postpartum depression, sleep challenges and stigma. 🔗 Read more about how we can support new fathers in #ECM2025: earlychildhoodmatters.online/2025/dad-bra...

earlychildhoodmatters.online

“Dad brain” is real - Early Childhood Matters

Parenting changes men’s bodies and brains in profound ways, impacting everything from their brain structure to hormones to their mental health and sense of identity. We call this period of rapid adjus...

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Norbert Schwarz @nschwarz.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Reps and Dems are living in different societies... Report linked in comments.

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