How Becoming a Dad Changes Men’s Brains Published June 22, 2026 Father’s Day is an opportunity to recognize the efforts of dads everywhere. But becoming a father is more than just a lifestyle change—it alters one’s brain, too. Scientific American spoke with Devika Bhushan, a public health physician and adjunct faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine, who studies gender norms, about the ways in which fatherhood affects men’s brains and the mental health struggles dads face.