Central regions of galaxies are inhabited by dense small structures, such as nuclear star clusters (NSCs) and nuclear disks and rings. These, at the bottom of the galactic potential well, are important tracers of the overall galaxy evolution, but the dominant mechanisms of their formation in galaxies of different masses and morphologies are still unclear. The TraNSLate project (Tracing galaxy evolution with Nuclear Structures in Late-type galaxies) will shed light on this issue, combining high-resolution zoom-in cosmological simulations with state-of-the-art integral-field spectroscopy observations. TraNSLate will be conclusive on the role of gas accretion and inflow followed by nuclear in-situ star formation, and stellar accretion and migration to the center of a galaxy. First, I will quantify the relative contribution of these processes in the central regions of 50 simulated galaxies. I will identify potential nuclear structures and unveil how they formed going back in time to previous snapshots of simulations. Secondly, I will focus on NSCs in observations of eight massive late-type galaxies (so far poorly studied), and their properties will be interpreted with the help of recipes provided by simulations. Finally, since higher resolution than current state of the art is needed to detect the smallest NSCs, TraNSLate will deliver one NSC-oriented pilot simulation, with a factor of 10 higher resolution, and a detailed plan for a future complete run of 20 more simulations. The TraNSLate project will be carried out at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias under the supervision of Dr. C. Brook, expert on theoretical studies on the formation of galactic structures in a cosmological context. The theoretical expertise of the supervisor and the host research group is very complementary to my observational background, and with this fellowship I will acquire a complete, versatile and mature profile as a scientist, in a position to pursue long-term leadership positions.