function r = readCSVfileIntoStruct(fileName,colStart)

% function reads in a comma-deliminated file where the first row are
% variable names and returns a struct with the variable names as fields
% arguments: fileName
%            OPTIONAL: colStart: how many leading columns are skipped
%                      (e.g.: if colStart = 2, first two columns are skipped)
% returns:   struct with data (fields are variable names)

if nargin < 2
    colStart = 0;
end

fid = fopen(fileName);
tline = [',' fgetl(fid) ','];
fclose(fid);
indexComma = find(tline == ',');
% get data
x = csvread(fileName,1,colStart);
for i = 1+colStart:max(size(indexComma))-1
    eval(['r.' tline(indexComma(i)+1:indexComma(i+1)-1) ' = x(:,i-colStart);']);
end