Dr. Mpoki Shimwela graduated with a BSc. Agronomy from Sokoine University of Agriculture in 2005, and Master Degree in Plant Science from Wageningen University, Netherlands 2011. He obtained PhD Plant Pathology from University of Florida, United State of America in 2016 where his research specialized in modeling the spread of plant diseases.  Dr. Mpoki Shimwela works with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) for 18 years. He is now the Center Manager of TARI-Maruku and the National Coordinator of Banana Research in Tanzania. His research activities include identifying and solving economically significant problems affecting field crops, particularly bananas. He is leading banana research in Tanzania. He coordinates banana breeding projects since 2017, and supervises the evaluation of NARITA banana hybrids and managed the release of four cooking banana hybrids TARIBAN 1, TARIBAN 2, TARIBAN 3 and TARIBN 4 in Tanzania in 2021 (The first ever released banana hybrids in the country).

As National Coordinator of banana research, his responsibilities are to ensure that the banana research program is executed efficiently and effectively in accordance with national research plans and priorities; to coordinate and provide guidance to all scientists involved in the Banana Research Program in Tanzania so that they can work together in a committed way towards a common research goal; to ensure effective and efficient execution of banana research projects in the country; to play a leading role in mobilizing resources; to identify research gaps and mobilizing resources to support banana research; to conduct and supervise fundamental and applied research in banana; to ensure banana research team use and share available resources, and to collaborate with regional and international institutions in Banana Research and Development.