Dr Anna Machin

Evolutionary anthropologist, love & dad scientist. Author: Why We Love & The Life of Dad. Host: How We’re Wired and Why? pods. Mad dog lady.

[Early Years @earlyyearsorg]

🌱Early Years Conference 2026 - Registration Now Open! 🌱

📅 Friday 5 June

📍 Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen

Speakers: Darryl Edwards | Dr Anna Machin

🎟️ Early bird discount available

👉 Book now: https://t.co/VUYQdgtSpM

[Prestige Couch @prestigecouch_]

Hey, as a clinical psychologist who has worked a lot with families and teens, I saw this play out in real life every single week. Dads bring something to the table that’s genuinely different and absolutely vital once kids hit adolescence. They’re often the parent who can take the full force of a teenager’s anger, mood swings, or push for independence without falling apart or pushing back too hard.

That ability to stay steady while the kid tests limits is pure magic. It teaches teens that the world can handle their intensity and still keep showing up for them. Dads tend to challenge more, play rougher, and invite risk in a safe way, and that mix builds grit, confidence, and the quiet knowledge that someone strong has their back no matter what.

What the new research is showing (those big UK studies tracking thousands of kids) lines up perfectly with what I saw in the office. When fathers stay connected, give real undivided time, and treat their teenager like a person worth taking seriously, rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm drop dramatically.

Moms are amazing and irreplaceable in their own lane, but the particular kind of love most dads offer is rocket fuel for a teenager’s mental health. Fatherhood isn’t optional extras or “helping mom.” It’s a completely distinct ingredient, and when it’s missing or watered down, kids feel the difference deep in their bones. We’ve got to start saying that out loud again.

Great article @dr_aMachin

[Ryan-Djokaran @Ryan_Djokaran]

Thought I’d let a Podcast run in the background while getting through some work.

The amount of times I had to stop & fully focus in on this 😂

@dr_aMachin on The Diary of a CEO connects many dots with clarity, depth & great insight

Highly recommend adding this one to the list!

[The Parents Promise @Parents_Promise]

Fantastic to see @dr_aMachin appear on @StevenBartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast to talk about love and fatherhood.

A new member of the Positive Parenting Alliance, Anna is an evolutionary anthropologist and one of the world's leading experts on the science of love.

[Steven Bartlett @StevenBartlett]

You can watch my full conversation with Dr Anna Machin here: https://t.co/ohD9E1S9Bn

[Steven Bartlett @StevenBartlett]

Are we being lied to about monogamy?

For two decades, she’s unravelled why humans fall in love, cheat, and obsess, revealing truths that many of us would rather ignore.

And now, she’s here to give you the tools to better navigate your relationships.

Please join me in welcoming Dr Anna Machin to The Diary Of A CEO, an evolutionary anthropologist at Oxford University and one of the world’s leading experts on the science of love.

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

Trying not to get too excited but could this maybe be the moment of change we’ve been fighting for? How to fight toxic masculinity? Give new fathers more time off

https://t.co/kfEPMX9FjA

[The Parents Promise @Parents_Promise]

A warm welcome to our newest member, evolutionary anthropologist, writer & broadcaster, @dr_aMachin! 🙌

Anna's book, The Life of Dad, draws on research and the latest findings to tell the story of fatherhood - don't miss her TEDx talk on the same topic.
https://t.co/VdS5KYXrj3

[Art of Manliness @artofmanliness]

The Dad Instinct: How Fathers Prepare Kids for the Wider World https://t.co/smDtPKBZ29 with insights from @dr_amachin

[ScottMair @ScottMair9]

A powerful evening last night at the @MBCoalition
: Missing Men launch last night.

A packed room filled with passion, purpose, and a shared goal this is not about men versus women, it’s about recognising that for society to truly flourish, we must rise together united.

It was incredible to hear from @wesstreeting, Nick Isles, Richard V. Reeves and the other powerful voices behind this work.

The message was clear: when men are missing from the data, the conversation, and the solutions we all lose.

As a father of 7 boys, this one hit close to home. Though I was there in a professional capacity, the personal impact was undeniable.

We owe it to our sons and all the young men growing up today to build a future they can thrive in.

That’s not someone else’s job.

It’s all of ours.

Let’s keep pushing for honest, inclusive, and united progress.

#boys #rolemodels #men #youngmen #dads
@MarkWilliamsFMH @dr_aMachin @MBCoalition

[BirthTrauma @BirthTrauma]

A reminder to dads: Scott Mair runs bi-monthly Zoom drop-ins for Dads on the first Wednesday of the month. Next one is this Wednesday, 2 April at 7.30pm. Book here: https://t.co/n1AQWXlEq7

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

Want to understand the brain in love? From neurochemistry to dating apps, attachment to genetics join me online on 16.2.25 for this interactive workshop to help you understand who you are when you are in love. @SeedTalks https://t.co/O8glOXoFs3

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

Excited to be writing my next dad book. As before it’s going to be lots of evidence based facts but grounded in the life experiences of real dads. So, can you help me? At the moment I need to interview single, gay and black fathers. Interested? DM me. 🙏

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

I've been talkjng to @Newsweek about the power and fun of rough and tumble play. Typical dad "rough and tumble" play has long-term impact, experts say https://t.co/PeZrqUmoUW

[Fathers Network Scot @FathersNetScot]

Did you know that there are over 14,000 single fathers in Scotland? 🧑‍🧒

Explore our blog to understand the challenges that single dads face and how father-inclusive support can truly transform confidence, self-esteem, and lives💡
https://t.co/xjV14GDYy4

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

Maybe needs a bit more emphasis on the fact that most men cannot afford the drop in income to take SPL but makes the point SPL is not fit for purpose. My husband took parental leave, but I know why more dads don’t

https://t.co/OVxrvcz4PN

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

We never speak about the men who want children but feel it is an unattainable dream. We should. Young men and the unspoken grief of being childless

https://t.co/16Js92MBmr

[Eyes Wide Open @EyesWopen]

Can Everyone Truly Experience Love? Discover the Science!

Evolutionary Anthropologist Dr Anna Machin on the Science and Psychology of Love

"Why We Love" - Episode 51 - Eyes Wide Open

@dr_aMachin

Link to Full Episode: https://t.co/ERUsITtTtj

[Dr Anna Machin @dr_aMachin]

Recent trends have shown that more women are choosing to find love and happiness in places other than with romantic partners and now data shows single women are happier than single men for just this reason.
https://t.co/2cXaqqjhjw

[Tommy's @tommys]

"I felt disconnected to the world, just getting through each day at a time."

Adam and his wife Hayley's son Joshua was sadly stillborn in 2014.

Looking back, Adam says he prioritised looking after his wife, which made it easy to forget about his own emotional needs.