In the effort to build a quantum computer, one major challenge being faced is that quantum information cannot be reliably stored and manipulated without incurring significant errors. Quantum bits, or qubits, often interact with the environment and lose their information before any meaningful computation can take place. Thus, it is critical to develop methods to mitigate and correct errors that occur. One promising approach is to implement quantum error correcting codes, which are quantum circuits that enable the identification and correction of errors. In this talk, I will explain how quantum error correction works and introduce one of the leading approaches: topological quantum error correction. Additionally, I will discuss the research I am doing in this field through Brookhaven National Laboratory.