Christen Steele is currently a National Academy of Sciences Gulf Coast Research Policy fellow for 2022-2023 and is hosted by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council). Created by the RESTORE Act of 2012, and comprised of the Governors of the five Gulf Coast States and Cabinet-level officials from six federal agencies, the RESTORE Council is responsible for restoring and protecting the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast.

Prior to starting as a fellow, Steele completed her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University in August 2020. Her research focused on investigating protozoan parasite infection patterns of monarch butterflies in the southeastern US. Steele also holds a MS in Biology, from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL.