Padma Atluri

Padma Atluri died Jan. 8, 2011, at 39, after being diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

Atluri was a 1995 Boston University communications graduate and began her writing career at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A year later, she made a move to the entertainment industry, starting off as an assistant in the current department at Fox. In 1999 she joined HBO as manager of Awards & Festivals, position she held for seven years. Then, in 2006, Atluri, who grew up as a fan of "I Love Lucy," "The Mary Tyler Moore," "60 Minutes," "Family Ties" and "Growing Pains," made another career switch, to TV writing. She landed a gig on ABC's dramedy "Men in Trees," followed by a writing job on "90210," on which she worked until her death.

In late summer 2008, Atluri attended Camp Obama and worked on the final stages of the Obama campaign, chronicling her experiences on The Huffington Post. She has also contributed to Marie Claire, O: The Oprah Magazine and msn.com.