Sand and dust storms represent a serious hazard for life, health, property, environment and economy in many countries, particularly in some of the least developed ones in North Africa and the Middle East. Airborne mineral dust also plays a significant role in different aspects of weather, climate and atmospheric chemistry. Dust is unique among atmospheric aerosols, as it is both an indicator of past climate variations and an integral contributor to climate change, on time scales ranging from interannual to decadal as well as glacial to geologic. To improve the understanding of sand and dust storms, Dr Pérez García-Pando will lead a multidisciplinary research program at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, an internationally recognized institution in weather, air quality and climate prediction and services at the forefront of supercomputing that is directly supporting the activities of the WMO Barcelona Dust Regional Center.