diff --git a/pyneuroml/pynml.py b/pyneuroml/pynml.py
index 570f11ac..385870d4 100644
--- a/pyneuroml/pynml.py
+++ b/pyneuroml/pynml.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 from pyneuroml.utils import extract_lems_definition_files
 from pyneuroml.utils.info import *
 from pyneuroml.utils.misc import *
+from pyneuroml.utils.moose import *
 
 # these imports are included for backwards compatibility
 from pyneuroml.utils.units import *
@@ -914,51 +915,6 @@ def reload_standard_dat_file(file_name: str) -> typing.Tuple[dict, list]:
     return data, indices
 
 
-def evaluate_component(comp_type, req_variables={}, parameter_values={}):
-    """
-    Work in progress: expand a (simple) ComponentType  and evaluate an instance of it by
-    giving parameters & required variables
-    Used in MOOSE NeuroML reader...
-    """
-    logger.debug(
-        "Evaluating %s with req:%s; params:%s"
-        % (comp_type.name, req_variables, parameter_values)
-    )
-    exec_str = ""
-    return_vals = {}
-    for p in parameter_values:
-        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (p, get_value_in_si(parameter_values[p]))
-    for r in req_variables:
-        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (r, get_value_in_si(req_variables[r]))
-    for c in comp_type.Constant:
-        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (c.name, get_value_in_si(c.value))
-    for d in comp_type.Dynamics:
-        for dv in d.DerivedVariable:
-            exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (dv.name, dv.value)
-            exec_str += 'return_vals["%s"] = %s\n' % (dv.name, dv.name)
-        for cdv in d.ConditionalDerivedVariable:
-            for case in cdv.Case:
-                if case.condition:
-                    cond = (
-                        case.condition.replace(".neq.", "!=")
-                        .replace(".eq.", "==")
-                        .replace(".gt.", ">")
-                        .replace(".lt.", "<")
-                    )
-                    exec_str += "if ( %s ): %s = %s \n" % (cond, cdv.name, case.value)
-                else:
-                    exec_str += "else: %s = %s \n" % (cdv.name, case.value)
-
-            exec_str += "\n"
-
-            exec_str += 'return_vals["%s"] = %s\n' % (cdv.name, cdv.name)
-    exec_str = "from math import exp  # only one required for nml2?\n" + exec_str
-    # logger.info('Exec %s'%exec_str)
-    exec(exec_str)
-
-    return return_vals
-
-
 def main(args=None):
     """Main"""
 
diff --git a/pyneuroml/utils/moose.py b/pyneuroml/utils/moose.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa784103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyneuroml/utils/moose.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Utils for moose:
+https://github.com/BhallaLab/moose-core/
+
+File: pyneuroml/utils/moose.py
+
+Copyright 2024 NeuroML contributors
+"""
+
+import logging
+import typing
+
+import neuroml
+
+from .units import get_value_in_si
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+
+
+def evaluate_component(
+    comp_type: neuroml.ComponentType,
+    req_variables: typing.Dict[str, str] = {},
+    parameter_values: typing.Dict[str, str] = {},
+) -> typing.Dict[str, str]:
+    """
+    Expand a (simple) ComponentType  and evaluate an instance of it by
+    giving parameters & required variables
+
+    This is used in MOOSE NeuroML reader:
+    https://github.com/BhallaLab/moose-core/blob/a6db169d10d47043710abe003a9c605b4a6a6ea9/python/moose/neuroml2/reader.py
+
+    Note that this is still a WIP.
+
+    :param comp_type: component type to evaluate
+    :type comp_type: neuroml.ComponentType
+    :param req_variables: dictionary holding variables and their values
+    :type req_variables: dict
+    :param parameter_values: dictionary holding parameters and their values
+    :type parameter_values: dict
+
+    :returns: dict of conditional derived variables and their calculated values
+    :rtype: dict
+    """
+    logger.debug(
+        "Evaluating %s with req:%s; params:%s"
+        % (comp_type.name, req_variables, parameter_values)
+    )
+    exec_str = ""
+    return_vals: typing.Dict[str, str] = {}
+    for p in parameter_values:
+        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (p, get_value_in_si(parameter_values[p]))
+    for r in req_variables:
+        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (r, get_value_in_si(req_variables[r]))
+    for c in comp_type.Constant:
+        exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (c.name, get_value_in_si(c.value))
+    for d in comp_type.Dynamics:
+        for dv in d.DerivedVariable:
+            exec_str += "%s = %s\n" % (dv.name, dv.value)
+            exec_str += 'return_vals["%s"] = %s\n' % (dv.name, dv.name)
+        for cdv in d.ConditionalDerivedVariable:
+            for case in cdv.Case:
+                if case.condition:
+                    cond = (
+                        case.condition.replace(".neq.", "!=")
+                        .replace(".eq.", "==")
+                        .replace(".gt.", ">")
+                        .replace(".lt.", "<")
+                    )
+                    exec_str += "if ( %s ): %s = %s \n" % (cond, cdv.name, case.value)
+                else:
+                    exec_str += "else: %s = %s \n" % (cdv.name, case.value)
+
+            exec_str += "\n"
+
+            exec_str += 'return_vals["%s"] = %s\n' % (cdv.name, cdv.name)
+    exec_str = "from math import exp  # only one required for nml2?\n" + exec_str
+    # logger.info('Exec %s'%exec_str)
+    exec(exec_str)
+
+    return return_vals