Lance McConaughy is a pen name for a former researcher, now patent attorney, in the midwest United States. Raised on a family farm, Lance was drawn to the sciences due to frank curiosity as well as economic stability after witnessing the farm crisis of the 1980s. After receiving a doctorate in molecular biology and enjoying twenty years working as a bench scientist, Lance lost his research funding, resulting in Lance returning to school to earn a law degree that enabled him to find work drafting patents for biotech inventions. As Lance had found science as a way to escape economic hardship, he now heavily encourages STEM education for all youth.

Lance is also concerned that a book providing guidance for the synthetic production of viruses, particularly guidance that includes the use of mRNA vaccine technology, may cause the author to be targeted by various government departments and commercial enterprises. Therefore, the true identity of Lance will be hidden for at least the near future.