diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/maps/hdmf.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/maps/hdmf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb93b49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/maps/hdmf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""
+Mapping functions for handling HDMF classes like DynamicTables
+"""
+import pdb
+from typing import List, Type, Optional
+import ast
+from nwb_linkml.types import DataFrame
+import h5py
+from pydantic import create_model
+from nwb_linkml.maps import dtype
+import numpy as np
+
+def model_from_dynamictable(group:h5py.Group) -> Type[DataFrame]:
+    colnames = group.attrs['colnames']
+    types = {}
+    for col in colnames:
+        # read the first entry to see what we got
+        dset = group.get(col)
+        item = dset[0]
+        if isinstance(item, bytes):
+            item = item.decode('utf-8')
+        if isinstance(item, str):
+            # try to see if this is actually a list or smth encoded as a string
+            try:
+                item = ast.literal_eval(item)
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
+
+        type_ = type(item)
+        type_ = dtype.np_to_python.get(type_, type_)
+        if type_ is not np.void:
+            # FIXME: handling nested column types that appear only in some versions?
+            types[col] = (List[type_ | None], ...)
+
+    model = create_model(group.name.split('/')[-1], **types, __base__=DataFrame)
+    return model
+
+
+def dynamictable_to_df(group:h5py.Group, model:Optional[Type[DataFrame]]=None) -> DataFrame:
+    if model is None:
+        model = model_from_dynamictable(group)
+
+    items = {}
+    for col in model.model_fields.keys():
+        data = group.get(col)[:]
+        if isinstance(data[0], bytes):
+            data = data.astype('unicode')
+        if isinstance(data[0], str):
+            try:
+                eval_type = type(ast.literal_eval(data[0]))
+            except ValueError:
+                eval_type = str
+
+            if eval_type is not str:
+                eval_list = []
+                for item in data.tolist():
+                    try:
+                        eval_list.append(ast.literal_eval(item))
+                    except ValueError:
+                        eval_list.append(None)
+                items[col] = eval_list
+                continue
+
+        items[col] = data.tolist()
+
+    pdb.set_trace()
+    return model(**items)
+
+
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/types/df.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/types/df.py
index 8a5f47a..54d4869 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/types/df.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/types/df.py
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ class DataFrame(BaseModel, pd.DataFrame):
         but when the model is dumped to a dictionary or serialized, the dataframe IS used,
         so changes will be reflected then.
 
+        Fields that shadow pandas methods WILL prevent them from being usable, except
+        by directly accessing the dataframe like ``mymodel._df``
+
     """
 
     _df: pd.DataFrame = None
@@ -87,16 +90,20 @@ class DataFrame(BaseModel, pd.DataFrame):
                 return object.__getattribute__(self._df, item)
             except AttributeError:
                 return object.__getattribute__(self, item)
+
     @model_validator(mode='after')
     def recreate_df(self):
-        """Remake DF when validating (eg. when updating values on assignment)"""
+        """
+        Remake DF when validating (eg. when updating values on assignment)
+        """
         self.update_df()
 
     @model_serializer(mode='wrap', when_used='always')
     def serialize_model(self, nxt: SerializerFunctionWrapHandler) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         """
-        We don't handle values that are changed
-
+        We don't handle values that are changed on the dataframe by directly
+        updating the underlying model lists, but we implicitly handle them
+        by using the dataframe as the source when serializing
         """
         if self._df is None:
             return nxt(self)
@@ -107,5 +114,4 @@ class DataFrame(BaseModel, pd.DataFrame):
                 k: [inner_v for inner_v in v if inner_v is not None]
                 for k, v in out.items()
             }
-
             return nxt(self.__class__(**out))
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/__init__.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/test_hdmf.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/test_hdmf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d81ec7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/test_hdmf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import pytest
+import h5py
+
+from nwb_linkml.maps.hdmf import model_from_dynamictable, dynamictable_to_df
+
+NWBFILE = '/Users/jonny/Dropbox/lab/p2p_ld/data/nwb/sub-738651046_ses-760693773.nwb'
+
+@pytest.mark.skip()
+def test_make_dynamictable():
+    h5f = h5py.File(NWBFILE, 'r')
+    group = h5f['intervals']['drifting_gratings_presentations']
+
+    model = model_from_dynamictable(group)
+    data = dynamictable_to_df(group, model)
+
+
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/test_maps.py
similarity index 100%
rename from nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps.py
rename to nwb_linkml/tests/test_maps/test_maps.py