Adolescence is filled with puzzling phenomena, such as increased risk taking, a reorientation towards peers and continuing changes in learning and reasoning. A primary goal of my research is to study how these changes are related to changes in brain function. In this talk I’ll focus on two main lines of research (1) the role and study of adolescent risk-taking, and – time permitting – (2) the developmental changes in learning from negative and positive outcomes. Together, these studies highlight a multidisciplinary approach towards understanding the complex changes which occur in brain and behavior across development.