Sleep and circadian disruptions are prevalent during adolescence and can affect mood and reward circuitry. Determining how sleep and circadian neurobiological pathways are disrupted in the development of psychopathology may allow early identification and inform treatment. Retinal light sensitivity may be a novel physiological vulnerability for emerging psychopathology during adolescence. Nonvisual photoreceptors in the retina convey environmental light information to mood and reward centers in the brain through circadian and non-circadian pathways. The current study non-invasively measured retinal light sensitivity using the post illumination pupil response (PIPR) in adolescents (ages 13-15) enrolled in the Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep (CARRS). We tested whether retinal light sensitivity was associated with sleep and circadian timing, disrupted mood, reward functioning, and whether retinal light sensitivity was modulated by a two-week sleep and circadian manipulation. We found a quadratic relationship between retinal light sensitivity and depression, with both high and low retinal light sensitivity being associated with higher depression symptoms. No associations were observed between retinal light sensitivity and sleep/circadian timing which may reflect data collection across varying photoperiods and light contexts. While both hypo- and hypersensitivity to light were associated with adolescent depression symptoms, the current study revealed important methodological considerations critical to establish the PIPR as a predictive clinical biomarker.