diff --git a/figures/MAM2EBRAINS.py b/figures/MAM2EBRAINS.py
index 6eae6fb4589359d65e5857d1a9b54482e61adfb6..afa764b144fa4a2c657aae83a8df41c5266c156f 100644
--- a/figures/MAM2EBRAINS.py
+++ b/figures/MAM2EBRAINS.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ icolor = myred
 ecolor = myblue
 
 # Instantaneous and mean firing rate across all populations
-
 def plot_instan_mean_firing_rate(tsteps, rate, sim_params):
     fig, ax = pl.subplots()
     ax.plot(tsteps, rate)
diff --git a/multi-area-model.ipynb b/multi-area-model.ipynb
index b38965b55d245b48b3e319d7fad42c3f0b0aae59..f2e9007fec21dee5d8d4cea01af17625798f7aa9 100644
--- a/multi-area-model.ipynb
+++ b/multi-area-model.ipynb
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@
     "from multiarea_model import MultiAreaModel\n",
     "from multiarea_model import Analysis\n",
     "from config import base_path, data_path\n",
-    "from figures import MAM2EBRAINS as M2E"
+    "import sys\n",
+    "sys.path.append('./figures/MAM2EBRAINS')\n",
+    "import plot_instan_mean_firing_rate"
    ]
   },
   {