The term "lead author" refers to the person who takes primary responsibility for a particular piece of work, such as an academic article or research paper. Full definition
And they cite communication problems between lead authors of different reports so it is harder to spot errors. (dailycamera.com)
He was quickly selected as lead author for a new report on climate change. (desmogblog.com)
Scientists drafted as lead authors prepared chapters on subjects ranging from a historical overview of climate change science to regional projections. (scientificamerican.com)