Yale University’s School of Public Health is set to host its first conference on olive oil next month. The two-day event will bring together people from diverse disciplines to discuss a variety of topics including olive oil chemistry and health, testing methods, the impacts of climate change and disease on its cultivation, as well as the potential for innovation in the sector.

Tassos Kyriakides said he came up with the idea for the conference after completing the Olive Oil Sommelier Certification Program at the International Culinary Center, which is produced by the Olive Oil Times Education Lab. Kyriakides and the department chair at Yale’s School of Public Health, Vasilis Vasiliou, envision the conference as an annual event leading eventually to the formation of a center at Yale dedicated to aggregating and disseminating olive oil knowledge as well as supporting projects and studies.