diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos_unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/macos_unit_tests.yml
index 88b61d090..fac63e14b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos_unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos_unit_tests.yml
@@ -12,52 +12,42 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-22.04,macos-14]
-        python-version: [3.8,3.9]
+        os: [macos-latest]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9]
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        id: cp310
-        with:    
+      - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
+        with:
+          activate-environment: test
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          fetch-depth: 2
       - name: Install ubuntu dependencies
-        if: contains(matrix.os, 'ubuntu')
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
+          if [ "${{ matrix.os }}" == "ubuntu-latest" ]; then
             sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test
             sudo apt-get update
             sudo apt-get install libopenmpi-dev openmpi-bin
-
-      - name: Install MacOs dependencies
-        if: contains(matrix.os, 'macos')
-        shell: bash -el {0}
-        run: |
-              brew install open-mpi
-              echo "MPI_LIB_NRN_PATH=/opt/homebrew/lib/libmpi.dylib" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
+          fi;
       - name: Install dependencies
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
-           '${{ steps.cp310.outputs.python-path }}' -m pip install --upgrade pip
-           '${{ steps.cp310.outputs.python-path }}' -m pip install mpi4py openmpi
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          conda install --yes -c conda-forge mpi4py openmpi
       - name: Install HNN-core
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
-          '${{ steps.cp310.outputs.python-path }}' -m pip install --verbose '.[opt, parallel, test, gui]'
-
+          pip install --verbose '.[opt, parallel, test, gui]'
       - name: Lint with flake8
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
           flake8 --count hnn_core
-
       - name: Test with pytest
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
-          '${{ steps.cp310.outputs.python-path }}' -m pytest ./hnn_core/tests/  --cov=hnn_core --cov-report=xml
-
+          python -m pytest ./hnn_core/tests/  --cov=hnn_core --cov-report=xml
       - name:  Upload coverage to Codecov
         shell: bash -el {0}
         run: |
-          bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash) -f ./coverage.xml
+          bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash) -f ./coverage.xml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hnn_core/gui/gui.py b/hnn_core/gui/gui.py
index 6b01e1c06..37e6ee6a8 100644
--- a/hnn_core/gui/gui.py
+++ b/hnn_core/gui/gui.py
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 from hnn_core.gui._logging import logger
 from hnn_core.gui._viz_manager import _VizManager, _idx2figname
 from hnn_core.network import pick_connection
-from hnn_core.params import (_extract_drive_specs_from_hnn_params, _read_json,
-                             _read_legacy_params)
+from hnn_core.params import (_extract_drive_specs_from_hnn_params)
 from hnn_core.dipole import _read_dipole_txt
 
 import base64
@@ -1275,7 +1274,8 @@ def load_drive_and_connectivity(params, log_out, drives_out,
     """Add drive and connectivity ipywidgets from params."""
     with log_out:
         # Add connectivity
-        add_connectivity_tab(params, connectivity_out, connectivity_textfields)
+        add_connectivity_tab(params, connectivity_out,
+        connectivity_textfields)
         # Add drives
         add_drive_tab(params, log_out, drives_out, drive_widgets, drive_boxes, tstop,
                       layout)